Assault on Upali Tennakoon Ex-Army intel officer arrested, remanded

He had allegedly been attached to the controversial Tripoli Platoon in Maradana which is deeply enmeshed in various assaults

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya 

Former Army intelligence officer Lalith Rajapakse was arrested and later remanded over the assault on former Chief Editor of Rivira and Divaina newspapers Upali Tennakoon, Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera said.  

“Corporal Rajapakse was arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on Sunday at his residence in Hanwella and remanded yesterday after being produced in the Gampaha Magistrate’s Court. He had allegedly been attached to the controversial Tripoli Platoon in Maradana which is deeply enmeshed in various assaults.  

“Police personnel who probed the murder of Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge found a fingerprint from his vehicle. After investigations were taken over by the CID, they had obtained fingerprints of 285 army officers to be matched with the fingerprint found from the vehicle that belonged to the slain editor. But none of them matched. However, investigations into the assault on Upali Thennakoon had urged the examination of fingerprints of those 285 army officers with those found in Mr. Thennakoon’s vehicle and the fingerprint of one officer matched,” he said, adding that the arrest was made after the CID matched the fingerprints found in a van used on the day of the assault. 

In 2014, Lalith Rajapakse had left for Germany with his family and worked at the Sri Lankan embassy there. He returned to the country in February 2017. 

Upali Thennakoon was assaulted on January  23, 2009 by unidentified assailants. Both Tennakoon and his wife were injured in the attack.   

Upali Thennakoon was assaulted on January  23, 2009 by unidentified assailants. Both Tennakoon and his wife were injured in the attack