A senior Sri Lankan military intelligence officer shot dead last month might have been murdered by one of his own operatives being groomed to assassinate a senior Tamil Tiger commander, the Sunday Times reported this week.
Lt. Col. Tuan Rizli Meedin was shot dead on October 29 by a gunmen seated in the passenger seat of his car, investigators found.
The Sunday Times’ Defence Correspondent, Iqbal Athas, reported this week that Lt. Col. Meedin had met the evening of his death with a friend and a military intelligence operative in the Trincomalee district before leaving with them.
The contact, Andrahennedige Chaminda Roshan, is a Sinhala businessman in Trincomalee. Among other things, he sold fish including those caught in Tiger guerrilla held areas.
Chamley Dissanayake, the friend, claims Chaminda shot Lt. Col. Meedin from the rear seat of the car.
“Chaminda had beaten a hasty retreat to Trincomalee. From there, he had slipped into Tiger guerrilla dominated Sampur area. Early this week, rumours had been floated that Chaminda had been shot dead. But authorities have heard through reliable channels that he had found safe haven,” Athas wrote.
Athas says investigators have found Chaminda was a ‘close associate’ of Colonel Sornam, LTTE Military Wing leader for the Trincomalee district.
Lt. Col. Meedin is said to have known Chaminda since 1995.
Lt. Col. Meedin was warned on October 21 of a Tiger guerrilla threat to murder him, Athas wrote. “Though such a warning was not accompanied by specific details of the plot, he was told that his circle of contacts had been infiltrated.”
“Some persons were identified. But this senior intelligence officer found it difficult to believe the people whom he associated with would turn traitor to him. He had been convinced they were helping him.”
Lt. Col. Meedin had said of Chaminda to a close friend and colleague who was among those who gave him the warning: “Don’t worry, I know what I am doing. I am careful. I am trying to get at Sornam. I am running him. This guy has promised he would kill him.”
As Athas points out, the questions raised by the saga assume greater importance in the light of another fact: officially, state intelligence agencies have called a halt to all covert operations against the LTTE since the ceasefire of February 2002.
Lt. Col. Tuan Rizli Meedin was shot dead on October 29 by a gunmen seated in the passenger seat of his car, investigators found.
The Sunday Times’ Defence Correspondent, Iqbal Athas, reported this week that Lt. Col. Meedin had met the evening of his death with a friend and a military intelligence operative in the Trincomalee district before leaving with them.
The contact, Andrahennedige Chaminda Roshan, is a Sinhala businessman in Trincomalee. Among other things, he sold fish including those caught in Tiger guerrilla held areas.
Chamley Dissanayake, the friend, claims Chaminda shot Lt. Col. Meedin from the rear seat of the car.
“Chaminda had beaten a hasty retreat to Trincomalee. From there, he had slipped into Tiger guerrilla dominated Sampur area. Early this week, rumours had been floated that Chaminda had been shot dead. But authorities have heard through reliable channels that he had found safe haven,” Athas wrote.
Athas says investigators have found Chaminda was a ‘close associate’ of Colonel Sornam, LTTE Military Wing leader for the Trincomalee district.
Lt. Col. Meedin is said to have known Chaminda since 1995.
Lt. Col. Meedin was warned on October 21 of a Tiger guerrilla threat to murder him, Athas wrote. “Though such a warning was not accompanied by specific details of the plot, he was told that his circle of contacts had been infiltrated.”
“Some persons were identified. But this senior intelligence officer found it difficult to believe the people whom he associated with would turn traitor to him. He had been convinced they were helping him.”
Lt. Col. Meedin had said of Chaminda to a close friend and colleague who was among those who gave him the warning: “Don’t worry, I know what I am doing. I am careful. I am trying to get at Sornam. I am running him. This guy has promised he would kill him.”
As Athas points out, the questions raised by the saga assume greater importance in the light of another fact: officially, state intelligence agencies have called a halt to all covert operations against the LTTE since the ceasefire of February 2002.
