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Kadir probe: Travel ban on Gnanakone
Businessman’s alleged assurance to the minister under scrutiny
A Colombo Magistrate issued an order this week to debar Charles Gnanakone, a former Sri Lankan now domiciled in Australia, from leaving the country.
All entry and exit points to the country have been intimated about this Court order.

Described as a wealthy businessmen, he is said to hold an Australian passport. A Sri Lankan passport in his possession, which suggested that he enjoyed dual citizenship, had already expired.

Detectives probing the assassination want to question him on a number of matters relating to an LTTE conspiracy that led to the assassination of Mr. Kadirgamar. Main among them is the allegation that Mr. Gnanakone had repeatedly assured late Mr. Kadirgamar that the LTTE would not assassinate him as long as he remained the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

A regular visitor to the late Foreign Minister’s official residence at Wijerama Mawatha in Colombo, Mr. Gnanakone had projected himself as a person who was closely associating with the LTTE leadership in Kilinochchi.

He had on a number of occasions conveyed to Mr. Kadirgamar matters relating to the LTTE. In this regard, detectives are also to question him on some important entries the late Mr. Kadirgamar had made in his personal diary.
Security personnel and others who made statements to detectives have expressed the view that late Mr. Kadirgamar dropped his guard over a possible LTTE assassination on assurances reportedly given by Mr. Gnanakone.
Besides the probe into the assassination, other investigations have also got under way to ascertain areas of security lapses that led to the killing.
One such step has been taken by Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Daya Sandagiri.

He has appointed Major General Lawrence Fernando, Director General – General Staff at the Joint Operations Headquarters (JOH) to head a three-member Court of Inquiry. Among other matters, this court has been called upon to:

ascertain action taken by the General Officer Commanding Operations Command, Colombo (OCC) Major General Vajira Wijegoonewardena immediately after the assassination of Mr. Kadirgamar. It may be recalled that Maj. Gen. Wijegoonewardena was moved out from his post as GOC by Admiral Sandagiri. It came against the backdrop of an action plan he formulated to cope with any security breaches in the City.
ascertain the responses of the Commando units and other relevant arms under the JOH soon after the incident.
identify the follow-up action taken and the activation of plans to secure the city.

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