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The Jungle Telegraph by alia

Careful of one's company
Police Chief T.E. Anandarajah has survived a smear campaign to continue an extended term. And now the searchlight has turned to who was behind the smear campaign? Insiders say that hand of a colleague, a contender for the top post, was responsible for the jazzed up campaign. This was whilst Mr. Anandarajah was away in Spain attending an Interpol meeting.

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga who recommended an extended term for Mr. Anandarajah before her departure yesterday to Singapore, insider say, studied two reports - one from the Secretary to the Ministry of Interior and another from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Both said there was no evidence of any collusion by Mr Anandarajah with any drug peddler.

Whilst it was true he had attended a party, when he was a DIG, at the instigation of a friend, this had been long before the man in question came to the adverse notice of Narcotics sleuths as a wanted drug peddler. Whilst it would not have been judicious for the Police Chief to have done it in the previous position he held, there was not a shred of evidence that he supported or colluded with a drug baron. As one source said, it was an "innocent mistake." But the timing, when the Police Chief's term was due for review, made the issue all the more important.

Otherwise, can one find a top cop who does not go to the party of any baron, be it one who runs a drug cartel or illicit liquor. It is these types who throw such lavish parties to win friends and influence people. At the lower levels, the stories of OICs receiving their regular quota of beef or fish, not to mention cut backs from other illegal ventures is nothing new.But some wrong doings are more important than others. More so when it happens to the wrong people.

Not the real thing
Sleuths of the Presidential Security Division (PSD) indeed are more active these days. More so with President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga keeping a close eye on the country's security situation.

Last week she was due as the chief guest for an art exhibition at the Lionel Wendt Theatre. PSD men who carried out an advance check discovered a gun. Eye brows were raised and prompt inquiries began.It soon came to be known that the gun was one of those used for plays at the theatre. It would not fire even if it wanted.

Delaying tactics
Are the Tiger guerrillas using delaying tactics over their response to Government's proposals for a provisional interim administration? So it seems judging by increasing number of engagements that are being lined up for guerrilla delegations.

A delegation of Political Wing leaders led by S.P. Tamilselvan was in Dublin, Ireland for talks on the proposals they will forward to the Government. From there they are to proceed to Denmark.

Now comes the news that the team will visit Norway from October 14 to 17. In Oslo, they are to meet Foreign Minister Jan Peterson, Norwegian peace facilitators and members of the local Tamil community. They also want to visit the city of Bergen.

With talks of visits to South Africa in the offing, will the Tigers delay their response until the "Maveerar Week" (Heroes Week) next month? Would that be the main issue for LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran during his birthday address?

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