Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Opposition MP Rohini Kumari Wijeratne Kavirathna brought the concerns of the parents of 11 youths who were forcibly disappeared to the notice of Parliament on Monday (5).
Addressing Minister of Justice, Prisons Affairs, and Constitutional Reforms President’s Counsel (PC) Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, she said: “You are well aware that a case has been filed against certain parties in the alleged abduction of 11 youths during the period of 2008 and 2009. A total of 667 charges, 126 witnesses, and 64 documents were filed along with the indictments against the accused persons.
“You are aware that former Navy Commander Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda and 14 other personnel attached to the Navy were indicted. However, some of these officers have received honourary titles and retirement. So, I am asking what happened to those 11 youths. One of the mothers told me that she has been taking to the streets to seek justice. Dr. Rajapakshe, I believe you can understand the pain and suffering of these parents.”
In August 2018, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) arrested Lieutenant Commander Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi, alias “Navy Sampath”, as the main suspect with regard to the incident. The CID accused former Navy Commander and Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne of shielding one of the main suspects, while the court further ordered his arrest.
In February 2019, Karannagoda was named the 14th suspect in the case and was implicated for having known about the enforced disappearances by Naval personnel that he had command responsibility over and choosing to take no action. Subsequently, the Attorney General (AG) filed a case against the defendants under 667 separate indictments which include the abduction of 11 youths from Kotahena and the surrounding suburbs between 25 August 2008 and 21 March 2009, committing murder, demanding a ransom for their release, and aiding in the crimes.
The AG’s Department decided to temporarily suspend proceeding with the charges against Karannagoda as the Court of Appeal had, in connection with a writ petition filed by Karannagoda, issued an interim order halting the hearing of the charges levelled against him. The AG informed the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar of the same on 4 August 2021. The case was taken up before judges Champa Janaki Rajaratne, Amal Ranaraja, and Nawaratne Marasinghe on 4 August 2021. Karannagoda was named a defendant in the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar case filed against a group of Naval intelligence officers pertaining to the alleged abduction and enforced disappearance of 11 youths in Colombo in 2008 and 2009. However, the case is still being heard and a decision with regard to the incident is yet to be determined.