Mervin reveals White-van strategy!

Statement given to CID by Mervin describing how White vans were directed

Though there were rumours during the last period of the Mahinda Rajapaksa rule that persons who disturbed the regime were abducted, occasions when they were proved were rare. It was the popular

When the case relating to the three youth who were abducted in Mattakkuliya area was being heard in the presence of Colombo Chief Magistrate Mr. Gihan Pilapitiya yesterday (26), the CID informed that Mervin Silva had on a previous instance given a statement about this White Van involvement and therefore it could turn out to be important. As such, the statement given by former Member of Parliament who had placed his signature as Hewacoperage Mervin Silva at the office of Superintendent of Police, Mr. B.S. Perera of the CID on 05th November 2015 was forwarded to courts. A part of the information contained in it, as follows:

Question: You had stated to the CID in relation to this incident that the White Van culture was being directed by the former Secretary of Defence, Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. How do you say so?

Answer: What I say is ... there was a businessman called Amal Rodrigo in Kelaniya. He had been abducted in a White Van 3 years ago in Pita-Kotte. Later having got the news a short while since the incident, I spoke to the President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa over the phone. I told him, "Sir, a person who's close to me has been abducted by a White Van. It's an act of Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa .... done to take revenge on me. Release this person on my behalf. This is done to take away the people on my side. Basil Rajapaksa is in this plan. He was in a spiteful mood". I told him that it was done with the purpose of removing people from me. The President then told me, 'This can't be our work. Anyway I'll help you Mervin'. After 9 days Amal Rodrigo was left by the roadside. I can't remember the place. After that the President called me and said, "There ... Mervin I have sent the man". At that point I told the President, "Sir .... Your Honour you saved a whole family .... may you be blessed with so much merit".

Subsequently Amal came to meet me at my Nugegoda house. He said, "Those who took me away told me to stop connections I have with you .... you can't go behind him ... disappear from there .... and told many other things". I can't remember those. He told about being assaulted also. He also told me that it was a group from the army that abducted him. Further, a person called Donald Perera also had been abducted at Galle Road by a White Van 6 months after Amal Rodrigo was abducted. He also was a person who used to help me a lot in my political activities. At the time he was lifted away I was in Polonnaruwa. From there I spoke to the President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa over the phone and said, "Sir, a friend of mine has been lifted from a White Van. He's a person from Panadura". I told him to rescue him also. Apart from that I said, "See that this activity is stopped ... otherwise I'll have to step aside from politics. Gotabhaya is responsible for this incident".

The former President said that he'll attend to it. Four days after that he too was sent back. Once again the President spoke over the phone and said, "Mervin .... your man has been released". At that point I thanked the President. Later Donald Perera visited me at my Mirihana house. He told that that he was abducted by some people of the army. He said that he was taken blindfolded and that he was assaulted, threatening him that if he didn't stop connections with me he won't be left alive. In the same way Thilakasiri alias Thilak living in Dalupitiya, Kelaniya and who supported me a great deal in my political-work was kidnapped about 2 years before this at McCallum Road by a White Van. Even for that I spoke to former President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa. He said, "I'll see to it". So saying he asked me to contact Gotabhaya. I spoke to Gotabhaya over the phone. On that occasion he said that he'll inquire about it promptly. Four days after that as in the previous manner Thilakasiri had been left by a van. I can't remember whether I again spoke to the President and said that he was released. The reason for that is that I have spoken so many times over incidents like this.

Question: Where was that White Van culture you're speaking about? Do you have any knowledge about other individuals it this?

Answer: There was group there who was partial to Gotabhaya. They were in the army. It was a team chosen by Gotabhaya from the army they was selected for this. I can't remember their names. If I see, I can tell. If somebody reminds me of those names ... I will tell. Another point is that I happened to meet a person connected to White Vans when one day I was in Gotabhaya Rajapaksa's office at the Ministry of Defence. I can't remember his name.

Question: Where was the statement, "Lasantha writes even if it's wanted that way ... and writes what is not wanted also" supposed to have been told to you during the middle part of the year 2008?

Answer: Gotabhaya made that statement to me at Temple Trees. After saying that he mentioned that he's going to take a decision about Lasantha. I said that this is something that could be solved after discussion and that the President is a friend of his. Then he said, "What discussions with that devil Mervin!" Only the two of us were there. There wasn't anybody else.