LTTE to release Sri Lankan policeman

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 August 2006, 16:08 GMT]
The leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), on Friday, decided to release the third Sri Lankan Policeman held in custody since October 2005. The decision was made following a request for goodwill-gesture from the outgoing Head of SLMM Major General Ulf Henricsson, LTTE sources in Kilinochchi said.

LTTE leader V Pirapaharan, ordered the release of B.W.Bopetigoda, following the request from Maj. Gen. Ulf Henricsson.

Bopetigoda will be handed over to the SLMM Saturday, LTTE sources said.

Head of Tamileelam Police Mr. B. Nadesan, took part in the meeting with the Heads of SLMM in Kilinochchi Friday.

Liberation Tigers arrested three members of the Sri Lanka Police, K.A.D. Sarath, B.W.Bopetigoda and W.G.D.S. Hemantha, for tresspassing into Liberation Tigers held area in Mannar on 11 October 2005.

The Sri Lankan Police officers told Tamileelam Police that they entered the area by mistake when pursuing a convicted British paedophile hiding in Mannar.

The Tigers said they found contradicting statements from the arrested policemen and kept them in custody while conducting investigations.

The case was progressing through the Tamileelam courts in Kilinochchi.