Key Suspects in Lasantha Wickrematunge Murder Case to Be Released
Sri Lanka’s Attorney General has informed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) that there will be no further legal action against three key suspects in the assassination of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge. As a result, Army Staff Sergeant Premananda Udalagama, Sub-Inspector Tissasiri Sugathapala, and Deputy Inspector General Prasanna Nanayakkara are to be released. The CID was instructed to report this to the Magistrate’s Court and notify the Attorney General within 14 days of any actions taken by the court.How ever the report is not confirmed.
Lasantha Wickrematunge, the editor of The Sunday Leader, was assassinated on January 8, 2009. He was known for his fearless investigative journalism, particularly his exposure of government corruption and human rights abuses during Sri Lanka’s civil war. One of his most controversial investigations focused on a MiG aircraft deal, which is believed to have been a major factor leading to his assassination. His murder was widely seen as an attempt to silence independent media.
The investigation into his killing has faced numerous obstacles, including allegations of cover-ups and political interference. While several suspects were arrested over the years, many were later released without charges. In 2019, Wickrematunge’s daughter, Ahimsa Wickrematunge, filed a civil lawsuit in a U.S. court against former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, alleging his involvement in the assassination.
Despite years of legal proceedings, justice for Wickrematunge’s murder remains elusive, and his case continues to be a symbol of the threats faced by journalists in Sri Lanka and the ongoing fight for press freedom and accountability.
Among the three suspects, Prem Ananda Udalagama, a former sergeant major in military intelligence, was identified by Lasantha Wickramatunga’s driver as the person who abducted him following the journalist’s murder. The identification took place on 7 July 2016 in front of Mt. Lavinia Additional Magistrate Lochani Weerasinghe.
Hettiarachchige Don Thissasiri Sugathapala, the former chief police inspector of the Mt. Lavinia Crime Branch, was the officer who found a notebook in Wickramatunga’s car, containing the registration numbers of motorcycles that had pursued him before his assassination.
Witarana Arachchige Sirimevan Prasanna Nanayakkara, a former Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of Mt. Lavinia, was accused of destroying that very notebook