Mass graves judge reprimands Jaffna SLA commanders

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 September 1999, 12:58 GMT]
The Jaffna district judge Manikkavasagam Ilancheliyan severely reprimanded the Jaffna Sri Lankan Security Forces Commander Lohan Gunawardana and the Sri Lankan Army's 51 division General Officer Commanding (GOC) Maj.Gen.Nihal Marambe this afternoon for interfering in the Chemmmani court proceedings and investigations into the alleged mass graves of civilians arrested and believed to be killed by the army in the peninsula in 1996-97.

Army personnel who came Chemmani this morning around 11 a.m. to the spot where investigators were clearing and digging the place identified by ex-corporal Somaratna Rajapkasha last week under court supervision arrested P. Selvarajah, the president of the Jaffna Missing Persons Guardian Association, who was at Chemmani today to observe the proceedings.

Selvarajah was taken away to the 51 division headquarters for interrogation.

The lawyer representing the interests of the MPGA, S.Paramarajah, told the judge that the president was arrested on suspicion for a bomb allegedly found in the compound of his house on Sept. 1.

The judge said that this was a conspiracy to disrupt the investigations.

He warned that he will take very strong action and that he will go back to Colombo if this were to continue.

Selvarajah was then released around 5 p.m.