Appendix 2

 

The Killer Squad Arrives in Mutur

Questions put by DSG Kodagoda to Chamara Meepawala 26 Aug. 2008

Roughly between the 12 noon and 1pm on the 3^rd did a group of Naval Personal headed by Commander Serasinghe and Lt. Commander Raymond come? On the evening of that day Commander Serasinghe and Lt. Commander Raymond came

On the 4^th night the Naval Boats carried a Police Officer from Trinco to the Naval Jetty Camp. The Police officer testified to having met a military officer from a Commandos regiment by the name of Pathirana. (He also testified to having met you Meepawala). Therfore I ask you whether the Army Commandos who came to the New Jetty at 1pm on the 4^th had a Major called Pathirana? The situation was such that I was not in a position to remember names. I recollect a Major because of his accolades which he was wearing on his shoulder and I couldn’t recall any names. Was this Commando Major who came on the 3^rd also there when a group of Police Officers came to the New Jetty from Trinco? The Army Commando remained there until I went home on leave

Please consider this carefully. A number of witnesses stated that a group of Commandos had reached the Mutur Police Station on the 3^rd at about 3pm. This matched your statement. Also those witnesses who had been at the Mutur Police Station said that the group that arrived at 3pm was headed by a Captain called Siranjeeve. Do you recall that the Commandos group had left the Naval HQ on the 3^rd and was headed by a Captain of this name? I addressed them as Sir when I realized that their insignia was senior and Machang when I realized that they were junior to me.

On the 4^th afternoon therefore the terrorists were in a position to select important targets in and around Mutur where security forces were? If anyone was looking from Sampur they would have seen my HQ and the Forward Defence Line at Waddhama. Therefore they could select any target they wanted.

When did the [Air Force] come? About 10am on August 1^st. Before the attack? Yes. How many? About 5. When did they leave? During the attack one Sergeant died and others were injured on the 2^nd

There is evidence that was given before this Commission that the Commandos who left at 1pm on the 3^rd of August came to the Police Station at 3 ‘O’ clock on the afternoon of the 3^rd. Also it is said that some of the Commandos who came to the Police Station on the 3^rd left at 4am on the 4^th to chase the terrorists from the town center. Therefore this Commission has a reasonable basis to believe that the said Commandos chased the terrorists away. Thus I want to know if as far as you are aware did any other groups of police personal other than the group of Commandos take part in chasing away the terrorists. Unaware

Are you aware that at the commencement of the attack the Army and the Security Forces were located at the following locations -

The Naval Detachment HQ at the New Jetty? Yes

Another detachment was located at the Waddhama Defence Line? Yes

Did you hear sounds on the 4^th? Yes but not only on the 4^th but sounds of artillery could also be heard till the 6^th. So you heard intermittent sounds on the 4^th and the 5^th and artillery sounds on the 6^th. Is that correct? I can’t say whether I heard small firing sounds and artillery firing separately.

There is evidence that the Magistrate was brought to the New Jetty on the morning of the 5^th, which is why we need to know the security situation prevailing on the 5^th. So were you in the process of re-establishing the forward defence line or recovering the lost naval detachment camp? By the time reinforcements arrived we were improving naval detachment camp. We’d also extended the forward defence line at this time.

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