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 Thilak
Shantha-the confidant turned accomplice
The Prelude
It was a mega production, the epic that would make Cecil B. de Mille
hide his head in shame. The finances ran into millions. The contents of
the mega drama astounded the gullible and the rational and the foolish
and the intelligent.
When the epic was televised, the respectable, the ingenuous and the
learned were stunned by it. It made some of them shed any doubts they entertained
about the murder of the patriot. The elite wanted to believe that the lowly
man at the helm of affairs was responsible for this dastardly crime They
refuse to accept any other theory or explanation. The epic proved to them
that the LTTE was innocent.
It was important then to publicise this to the world. The future of
the Government depended upon the success of the on- going peace talks with
'Nelson Mandela' of Jaffna Pattnam. For instance they would in unison re-echo
the sentiments expressed in the epic. "Surely this was not the manner
in which the LTTE killed people? Absurd! The LTTE has denied the murder.
They have sent a fax from the Headquarters in London" "Surely
they are not cowards if they did it, they will admit it. They admitted
the murder of Denzil" "What about the backup team"? "There
was only a lone gunman". "This is a crude job by that man to
put the blame on the LTTE". The message is clear that it would be
driven home.
The background
He made many mistakes, and he died by his own folly. But the ghost of
this man is seen everywhere. The houses he constructed are crumbling, the
factories he opened are closing. The roads he built are fast becoming pot
holed. The country has stopped like the clocks in the clock towers he erected.
The poor in hush hush tones venerate this man. Now even the educated feel
the loss.
Two Assistant Directors Leave
But before the production was complete, the two assistant directors,
who wanted to explore the bottom of the abyss in the pursuit of truth,
resigned when they were confronted with the star actress.
The Report
The Commissioner. Tissa Bandaranayake, sporting a lovable smile, handed
over the report of the Lalith Athulathmudali and Denzil Kobbekaduwa commission
to the President. Bingo! Ranasinghe Premadasa was found directly involved
in the murder of Lalith Athulathmudali and Denzil Kobbekaduwa. Mr. V. Prabhakaran,
was absolved of these heinous crimes.
The ultimate spy, the accomplice to murder
The commission found the trusted bodyguard of Lalith Athulathmudali
who allegedly shot the assassin, to be an accomplice. This would mean that
Gusthinna Waduge Thilak Shantha was hand in glove with 'Soththti Upali'
and in turn in the pay of R. Premadasa. Hundreds of Police officers were
involved in this elaborate conspiracy. Premadasa managed even to deceive
Scotland Yard. The plan was so insidious, the intrigue was so astounding,
that no mortal, not even the maestro of detectives, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
could have conceived it. Only Premadasa and B. Sirisena Cooray could have
hatched it. They found Thilak Shantha, the body- guard of Lalith, a perfidious
spy, a double agent, a double cross, that he removed the gunpowder from
the cartridge and doctored it and shot himself in the leg in order to feign
an injury from the alleged assassin. The plot was so diabolical that the
entire household of Laltih Athulathmudali believed in Thilak Shantha.
They gave him protection, kept him at Flower Road and treated him. When
the Government came to power he was found employment under Srimani. The
commission began by recording his evidence. The plot was so secret that
all the police officers who were on duty were oblivious to it. Others who
knew nothing actively supported it. The Judicial Medical Officers, the
Government Analyst, and all other responsible State Officers were made
to believe the killer was Raghunathan, an innocent Tamil youth who had
come to Colombo in search of foreign employment, with all the papers with
him, like the nice girl who blasted herself, near the Air Force Headquarters
who had been released by the CID and cleared by the CDB and the NIB as
she had come to Colombo to go abroad.
Scene I
On the 23rd of April 1993 an assassin shoots and kills Lalith. Thilak
Shantha the body guard of the late Lalith Athulathmudali shoots at the
assassin. The body-guard is hurt, is taken to General Hospital and warded.
The body- guard is aware that the pistol with which he shot was procured
by the family of late Athulathmudali and was an unlicensed firearm. If
that matter was disclosed he feared that he might be arrested and remanded
or even killed. He makes a statement to the Police but does not mention
that he shot at the assassin.
Scene 11
On 1st May 1993 Mr. R. Premadasa is assassinated. A few days later Thilak
Shantha accompanied by his lawyer representing Athulathmu-dali's family
and brother of Srimani, Mr. Harin de Saram, makes a statement to the Police,
after the A.G. gives him an undertaking that he (Thilaka Shantha) would
not be prosecuted for possessing an unlicensed firearm. The Pistol is handed
over to Scotland Yard. Thilak Shantha describes the manner in which he
shot the assassin and how the bullet struck the assassin's abdomen.
But when this statement was made it was a known fact that the bullet
had not struck the stomach of Raghunathan but the back. Those who wished
to refute that Raghunathan was not the assassin were happy.
Scene III
Thilak Shantha is the first witness to be called before the commission.
He reiterates the above story and states further that he was shown the
body of the Raghunathan (alleged assassin according to police) and he without
doubt refutes that Raghunathan was the assassin. If Thilak Shantha's statement
is true Raghunathan is not the assassin.
The assassin who had escaped from the scene with injuries should have
gunshot injuries in the stomach every one thinks
Scene IV
A letter is written by Chinthaka Amerasinghe, the rival gang-lord of
Soththi Upali who knows that he cannot come out of jail on bail as a number
of murder cases are pending, states that if he is released on bail he would
reveal the true identity of the assassin of the late Lalith Athulathmudali.
The action is so swift that even before Chinthaka could realise what happened
he is released on bail and implicates his arch rival 'Soththi Upali' and
one of his 'golaya's Janaka Priyankara Jayamanne as culprits and states
that Janaka Priyankara Jaya-manne alias Sudu Mahaththaya was the assassin.
Scene V
Sudumahattaya is arrested. He pleads with the Magistrate that he is
even prepared to die to let any doctor cut him open to find out whether
there are any gun shot injuries in his body as described by Thilak. The
Commission directs Sudumahattaya to be examined by doctors and specialists.
He has not even a scrape mark let alone a gun shot injury, on his body.
Problem I and the Solution
Scene V1
The entire scenario had to be changed. Thilak Shantha is recalled. Mrs.
Sharmila Perera, Attorney at Law, confidante of the Lalith family, brings
Thilak Shantha to the commission. Thilak Shantha changes his story again.
Thilak Shantha laments and is virtually in tears, and says that he felt
so bad when he found that the real assassin had been arrested and that
he had no gun-shot injuries in the body, and he felt that because of his
earlier testimony the real assassin might escape. He has a duty by his
beloved leader. He wants to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. The
truth is that he shot at the assassin, but the bullet never hit the assassin.
He lied to the commission and to the police at the instance of a President's
Counsel who was watching the interests of Lalith's family. Every one is
relieved. Therefore, the new assassin could not have any injuries as Thilak
Shantha's bullet did not strike him. Therefore Sudumahattaya's claim that
he has no bullet wounds does not hold water.
Problem No: 2
Scene V11
But still there is one big hitch. The evidence of the JMO and the Government
Analyst and the Scotland Yard and all other experts do not fall in line
with this story. The Government Analyst states in no uncertain terms that
the bullet taken from Raghunathan's spine came from Thilak Shantha's gun.
Damning evidence, the Jury will believe the experts and not Thilak Shantha.
Problem No: 2 solved
Scene V111
Without a single suggestion being put by the State to Thilak Shantha,
that he was an accomplice, the Commission finds Thilak Shantha an accomplice
who shot himself with a doctored bullet, a bullet from which gun-powder
had been removed to feign that he received gun-shot injury. The Commission
concludes he never shot anyone but himself. In the mean-time some one shot
at Raghunath-an with a similar doctored cartridge and injected him with
cyanide and put some glass pieces into his mouth to show that it was an
LTTE job. The expert opinion of Scotland Yard, The Government Analyst,
and the others had been rejected and the opinion of a gunsmith who was
never called to give evidence was admitted. The Audi Alteram Partem followed
to the maximum.
Problem No 3
Still there are a lot of gaping holes to be filled before prosecuting
any oneThe killing of Lalith Athulathmudali The 3rd Serial which is to
be enacted in the near future.
Thilaka Shantha, the body- guard of Lalith Athulathm-udali is to be
charged as an accomplice to the murder. Till very recently he was a faithful
employee of Madam Srimani Athulthmudali in her Ministry.
Thilak Shantha is arrested by the CID and he makes a confession on these
lines. He is taken before a Magistrate. The Magistrate records the confession.
Thilak Shantha is then released on bail and made a State witness. He describes
the conspiracy and states how he shot himself. Prabhakaran is howling with
laughter and picking the next politician to be killed. He is absolved from
the crime of killing the late Laltih Athu-lathmudali, which was admitted
by his spokesman Anton Balasingham. 'Vidu-thalai Pulihal' the official
organ of the LTTE not only proudly accepted the murder of all Sinhalese
Political leaders of the south including "Lalith Athulathmu-dali,
R. Premadasa and Gamini Dissanayake, but gave reasons for it and warned
Chandrika Akka" The translation of this was published in the Sunday
Observer after the LTTE, exparte broke the cease fire.
Ends
P.S.
The Commissioners have referred to this column in their report, at page
148, they state "Even the invisible 'Mudliyar' has offered comments
enjoying the freedom of expression. We welcome views if unbiased and honest."
Indonesia is in deep trouble. Suhartho might lose power. If that happens
commissions and commissions will have to be appointed. Commissioner Banadarana-yake
is to be appointed the Ambassador to Indonesia. We wish His Excellency
Tissa Dias Bandaranayake good luck.
Outside Politics
Editorial/Opinion Contents
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