The Jungle Telegraph

31st October 1999

By Alia

Sigh of relief

The future of the Joint Operations Command which came up for review at the highest levels of the Government has been put on hold.

The reason – President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's decision to call for Presidential elections 16 months ahead of schedule.

The news is certainly a sigh of relief for staff at the JOC including its head or General Officer Commanding (GOC), General Rohan de S. Daluwatte.

There was more good news for Gen. Daluwatte last week. The Ministry of Defence has nominated him as Sri Lanka's representative at the Asia-Pacific heads of defence services conference in Hawaii. The conference is being hosted by the US Army's Pacific Command and will take place from November 14 to 17.

Revelation

Eric Savundranayagam, whom Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) detectives are now interrogating for his alleged involvement in the assassination of Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam, has made an interesting revelation.

The man who reportedly handled many surveillance tasks to pave the way for Tiger hit squads to attack was not only advised by his LTTE handlers to enter the Technical College at Maradana to follow an engineering course. Detectives say he has also been told to enrol himself to follow a Hindu language course at the Indian Cultural Centre. It seemed his handlers had planned on an Indian assignment for him. He followed both courses until he went to Madras for his sister's wedding.He was arrested upon his return.

Others irked

Top cops are irked over one of their retired colleagues.

Though he retired last year, he continues to occupy official quarters.

This is whilst others who retired have been ordered to leave. Financial Regulations which allow one calendar month's stay after retirement, the top cops complain, does not apply to this man.

Backfired

The ambitious seafarer's ploy to edge out his boss with the revelation that he leaked extremely sensitive info to media has backfired.

The sleuths have found that the "disclosures", which came like rapid fire from a Naval gun at close quarters, or shall I say face to face distance, were all part of a ding dong battle to become chief. He wanted to be at the helm of things, come hell or high water. The talk at the sea front now, insiders say, is about the "hull down" position the man has taken after a plea for a longer term has been politely declined. As one insider declared "the man didn't know the boss was well aware of his treacherous acts".

Foul ups

The Ministry of Defence is to advise heads of armed services to obtain formal clearance of invitee's lists for official functions.

The move, intended to avoid embarrassment to the Government, follows a string of foul-ups during the Army's 50th anniversary celebrations.The latest report spoke of two former officers, who were suspects in the 1962 coup attempt, being invitees for the gala anniversary dinner.

Rajpal Abeynayake's Column

Editorial/ Opinion Contents