Chaminda hit on face with pistol butt
Malaka`s body guards also pounce on Chaminda
Papa Mervyn moves for a compromise
Chaminda has 11 stiches on face and
still suffering from dizzy spells
[2007-09-09 The
Sunday Leader] By Sonali Samarasinghe
Malaka Manoj Silva has done it again. Embracing the hideous lifestyle that comes with too much money and too little guidance, Malaka is a product of a bad up bringing coupled with sleazy living that thrives in a musky world of thuggery, sex and drugs.
Malaka is also the son of Mervyn Silva, the Labour Minister in the Government of President
Mahinda Rajapakse. But who doesn`t know that. The fruit never falls far from the tree.
Bloody mess
Last Thursday (6) the pleasant ambience of the Bistro Latino Restaurant and Salsa Bar was rudely shattered by the rowdy presence of Malaka, his body guards and his coterie of friends. By 11.30 p.m the floor that usually sizzled with the feet of salsa dancers was gruesomely spotted with the blood of Malaka`s latest victim.
Chaminda Senasinghe had lived most of his life in America. Working as a financial controller for the well known Baxter Pharmaceutical Company it was only a month and a half ago that he returned to his native land to be with his parents. Upon his return Chaminda soon got himself a job as financial manager at the S-lon company of the Maharaja Groupbut having lived away so long it was harder to find a set of friends.
Claudia was a German expatriate working in Sri Lanka with the GTZ under Roland Steurer who himself had only 48 hours earlier suffered a great personal loss with his 17 year old son found dead at the foot of Royal Park Residencies.
An acquaintance
Claudia was an acquaintance of Chaminda`s brother, a lawyer who she had consulted regarding a legal issue. It was through his lawyer brother that Chaminda met Claudia. He had known Claudia for only as long as he had been in this country which wasn`t too long. So it was that on Thursday (6) at about 10.40 p.m Claudia and Chaminda had entered the restaurant premises to enjoy a quiet meal.
Also in the restaurant were Malaka and his body guards who at the time were hanging around with the jet-setting Diren Nirmalingam and some of his friends. Chaminda`s walk towards the restaurant table was interrupted by him stopping to talk to two other friends of his brother, Samanthi and Mark Muller. This stop would have taken him some two-three minutes before he joined Claudia at the table.
It was then that Chaminda realised something was up. A number of Malaka`s friends approached their table and spoke with Claudia deliberately ignoring Chaminda who was still standingin a manner that was perhaps aimed at embarrassing him.
Just friends
It was then that Malaka approached. He first jostled Chaminda even as his friends purposely bumped into him a few times. In a flash Malaka then head butted Chaminda whono doubtwas obviously consumed with curiosity as to why he was getting so much fierce attention from the ministerial brat.
`You know who I am?` he asked Chaminda Senasinghe and even as Chaminda quizzically muttered `yes, what`s the problem,` Malaka was to say `I am Malaka Silva.`
Malaka had also allegedly said, `you are with my ex girl friend` at which point Chaminda retorted, `That`s no problem, I`m just a friend of hers.`
Speaking to The Sunday Leader from the Nawaloka Hospital, Chaminda recounted those last moments before he fell to the floor only to be kicked and manhandled by about 10 persons.
Chaminda told The Sunday Leader he recognised some of those who attacked him to be security personnel of Malaka`s as `they wore those familiar grey uniforms.` Chaminda alleges that having introduced himself so to speak, Malaka pulled out a pistol and aimed it at his head allegedly trying to shoot him at which time he managed to push his hand away. At that time Malaka, Chaminda alleges, rammed the butt of the pistol onto his temples hitting both sides.
After the alleged lightning assault Malaka and his security guards had quickly stormed out of the restaurant. In the restaurant at the time was Minnendra Chethya, a friend of Malaka`s who happens to work for
Rosy Senanayake. It was Minnendra who eventually dragged Malaka out of the restaurant.
Getaway
A security guard attached to the Bistro Latino said he saw the crowd that had engaged in the fight get into a car and a jeep and drive off. Meanwhile it was during the attack that Chaminda`s brother, was to get a call from his friend Samanthi saying Malaka is hitting Chaminda for no reason. However Chaminda says that nobody came to help him even when he was on the floor. This he attributes to the fact that people who knew Malaka were scared for their own safety.
Rosy
Ironically later at about 1.30 a.m Rosy Senanayake was to call Chaminda`sbrother and prevail upon him not to take any action and to settle the matter.
Meanwhile bleeding badly and on the floor Chaminda was later helped by Claudia and walked to his car and proceeded to the National Hospital for treatment where he had to have some 11 stitches on his face.
No good Samaritan came to help as the badly injured Chaminda managed to drive himself to the National Hospital with Claudia also by his side and a three wheeler in front guiding him to the location as Chaminda was not familiar with the roads.
After visiting hospital Chaminda lodged a complaint at the Bambalapitiya Police Station. However Malaka had made it to the police station before Chaminda and had himself made a complaint indicating a small bruise on the bridge of his nose and stating a group of persons had assaulted him.
Meanwhile Chaminda who ever since the attack had been having dizzy spells had contacted Dr. Maiya Gunasekera at the Nawaloka Hospital and proceeded to take several tests including head scans. It was when he was at the Nawaloka Hospital that the Judicial Medical Officer had also visited him as part of the on going inquiries.
Asiri Hospital
It is reliably learnt that after some deliberation Malaka had attempted later in the day to get himself admitted to Asiri Hospital complaining of concussion. The Sunday Leader called Malaka Silva but he was not available for comment. However our number was taken by a person who refused to divulge his name with a promise a message would be conveyed to Malaka.
The Sunday Leader spoke to the Bambalapitiya police who confirmed two complaints had been made regarding the incident and an inquiry was underway.
Restaurant Manager of the Bistro Latino,Roshan told The Sunday Leader that the incident had occurred at about 11 p.m and that it happened quite suddenly with no indication at all that a fight was brewing. As it was Thursday and `Salsa Night,` Roshan said the place was quite crowded but said they were in the process of closing up for the night when the incident occurred.
He also said that some guests had hurried out of the premises in fright not even paying their bills but promising to come back later to settle up. Roshan said he immediately informed Keith Muller, the owner of the restaurant about the incident but that no police complaint was made as no damage had been suffered by the restaurant. He also maintained he did not know the parties involved in the fracas.
Fight over a female
Co-owner of the restaurant, Narmada Muller told The Sunday Leader she and her husband Keith had not been in the restaurant at the time but had received a phone call from their restaurant manager who had described the incident. According to the information received Muller said, her staff had seen two persons on the ground and the fight appeared to be over a female.
A reliable source told The Sunday Leader Malaka had been following this girl for over a month and may have had a relationship with her as he allegedly claimed.
However the same source who did not wish to be named said Malaka had about a month or two back come out of the Galadari Hotel entrance from the Tramps Nightclub inside and shouted absolute filth at a foreign girl who was standing at the entrance for transport. The girl had looked back and stared at him too embarrassed to say anything. Be that as it may The Sunday Leader spoke to Claudia who said she did not want to comment on the incident or her connection if any with Malaka.
Chaminda relates gruesome incident
Malaka told me Claudia was his ex girl friend and I said no problem because we are just friends. He then asked me whether I knew who he was and then hehead-butted me. He said his name was Malaka Silva and pulled out a pistol and pointed it at me and would have shot me. But I managed to push the pistol away from me. At that time he hit me on the sides of my head with the butt of the pistol.
About 10 to 15 persons attacked me and as I fell to the ground they were kicking me. I saw persons in grey suits and knew they were body guards.
Malaka`s track record
Malaka Silva and two of his bodyguards on November 2, 2006 pleaded guilty to attacking attacking Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) officers who were on a drug raid at a night club in a five star hotel.
Colombo High Court Judge Upali Abeyratne ordered each of them to pay compensation of Rs. 10,000 each and enter into a bond in Rs 100,000 each to be of good behaviour for one year. The accused were Malaka Silva and his bodyguards Sampath Kumara Rajapakse and Prasanna Kumara Suresh. The judge ordered that the compensation be directed to the Police Rewards Fund.
In a direct indictment by the Attorney General the three accused were charged with willfully causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty. Malaka Silva was charged with intimidating and obstructing the PNB team which went on a narcotics raid with a court order to the night club My Kind of Place at Taj Samudra in the early hours of July 24, 2005.
The accused were indicted with assaulting police personnel including PC R.W. A. ...
