Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

India's best interest lies on a situation where LTTE cannot win, but cannot be defeated either. But if given the choice, she would choose LTTE's defeat.

Karunanidhi knows where Tamils stand, where Tamils hearts are.

The enemy within
In the immediate aftermath of the Anuradhapura air base disaster, it was revealed that the contractors, who undertook the transport of soil, for the extension of the runway, were negligent in their choice of sub contractors, who had a hand in providing vital information to the Tigers.
Both the SLAF and the CID are blaming the attack on Google Earth, as a convenient way to absolve the contractors who passed the project onto sub contractors in a negligent manner, without sufficient screening of the personnel.
The contract was given to the Maga Neguma Project coming under the Ministry of Highways and Road Development. (Under the Rs 1.8 billion Maga Neguma Project, some 170 small projects, involving carpeting and tarring of roads in the rural areas, have been undertaken).

Some 164 workers and 94 vehicles were deployed by the Coordinating Secretary of the Road Development Ministry, for the work on the runway.
Last week, it was speculated that a Coordinating Secretary of the Road Development Ministry might be arrested. Sleuths from the CID and the PSD interrogated the Coordinating Director of the Maga Neguma Project, Kithsiri Abeygunawardena, who also coordinates the work of the Nation Building Ministry, coming under President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
It was to him that the project to extend the runway of Anuradhapura air base was given.
Abeygunawardena was known to A.N. Thananayagam of ANT Transport fame, who transported many goods to the Wanni and had the LTTE nod for it.

Thananayagam introduced Pradeepan, a resident of Batticaloa, who had links with the LTTE, to Abeygunawardena, who admitted accepting Rs 1 million from Pratheepan and issued a letter regarding the sub contract.
Abeygunawardena and Thananayagam were in the habit of visiting night clubs and, in the course of time, one Malki from the Athurugiriya Millennium City had befriended the former.
It is also learnt that a suspected LTTE cadre, under the guise of a Karuna loyalist, was working under Abeygunawardena as his driver. His name is Leslie Alexander Shakespeare and he used to drive Abeygunawardena?s double cab bearing No. 253-9297.
The PSD and the Army Intelligence began to suspect him after he refused to allow his cab to be searched during at least three visits to Vavuniya. At a road block where he refused to be checked, he said he was Kithsiri Abeygunawardena.

Investigations have also revealed that three vehicles that should have come under the Road Development Authority (RDA), when the agency changed names, went missing. Two of the vehicles bearing numbers 16-580, a Mazda 323, was despatched to the uncleared areas having sold it for Rs 150,000 and 18-1965, a Nissany Sunny, was also despatched to the LTTE areas. An Izuzu Double Cab, No. 54-8413, which was also missing, would be taken into custody shortly.
Investigators have also found that of a list of 11 people who were employed at the RDA, one Keerthi Bandara, a subordinate of underworld leader Ice Manju, who is believed to have killed Col. Meedin, was part of Abeygunawardena?s security detail. Bandara, who is in remand custody, continues to draw a salary of more than Rs. 20,000.
Abeygunawardena, who also was involved in the Nation Building Ministry, had links with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, minister in charge of the subject.
President Ranasinghe Premadasa was assassinated by Babu, who had befriended the Head of State and cultivated a close relationship with him.
President Rajapaksa, whose public relations are excellent, could also fall prey to the LTTE, which scrutinizes the traits of those they target.