WHITE VAN NABBED IN MIRIHANA WITH 3 SOLDIERS!

The police took into custody yesterday a white van down Ariyadasa Mawatha day-before-yesterday

Three soldiers dressed in civil uniform had been travelling in that van and the said white van which had false number plates were found with weapons and other false number plates. Though these soldiers who were arrested said that they were security guards of Chief Co-ordinating Officer of the Ministry of Defence Major General Prasanna Silva, since they had not specifically mentioned as to what reason they had travelled the police took steps to take them into custody on suspicion.

The police say that at the moment of their arrest a 9 mm. type weapon was found in their possession. The suspects had told the police that it was issued to the Major General by the army. This van had been observed by officers of the traffic division of Mirihana Police going along various roads in Mirihana several times day-before-yesterday (20) night and because of the suspicion aroused as a result the vehicle had been stopped and on investigation the suspect-soldiers had been cordoned by the police. As such, Mirihana Police had taken steps to notify the army police that night itself regarding the van and the weapon together with the soldiers and the police had informed the army police to let them know whether the vehicle concerned and the weapon belong to the army. It was later revealed that this van had not been registered anywhere. The soldiers arrested have been produced in courts by Mirihana Police yesterday (21) and have been released on a personal bond of Rs. 1 lakh each. Further investigations are being carried out by Mirihana Police under instructions of Mr. Kapila Jayasekera, Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Colombo South.

Information was revealed yesterday at two media briefings that there is a threat to both former President and the former Secretary of Defence, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa regarding this white van affair as this incident has taken place in Mirihana area where former President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa now resides. What Gotabhaya Rajapaksa who attended the occasion of the opening of the Battaramulla Election office of Mr. Udaya Gammanpila said regarding this incident was that according to information received, it has been revealed that this van had been used by the LTTE Organisation. He had also questioned as to why Sobhitha Thero who made accusations against them about a 'white van culture' is silent on this matter.

What former member of parliament Wimal Weeravansha said at another press conference was that, "what is made clear with a white van being found in Mirihana is that this gang is involved in this activity with the motive of killing former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. On one hand this happens at a time when the JVP and the UNP had tried to remove the security of the former President. Now it was the past regime that was accused of saying 'white van, white van'. It is clearly seen that the police should take proper action about this in the correct manner. We have got to know that the investigations are being deviated in a different direction".