200 statements taken over FTZ clash

10 June 2011 09:36 pm

Over two hundred statements have been taken by the Criminal Investigations  Department (CID) mainly from policemen including SP’s and ASP’s over the clash  which took place in Katunayake between the police and workers of the Free Trade  Zone (FTZ). 

In the meantime, Acting Inspector General of Police, Senior DIG N.K. Ilangakoon  has ordered the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to submit a report on  the clash which took place in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone (FTZ) between the  police and FTZ workers in two weeks time.

The special desk will continue to record complaints from the public against the  police on how they conducted their duty. They have also taken statements from  garment workers as well, the police said. Till the investigations are concluded  the security, law and order will be maintained by the Army and the elite Special  Task Force (STF).

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mahinda Balasuriya in the aftermath of the  clash submitted his retirement papers to the President.

Since taking over, the Acting IGP, Senior DIG N.K Illangakoon has given firm  instructions to the CID to speed up the investigations and submit an impartial  report.

The two police officers, a CI and IP arrested in connection with the death of the  Katunayake Free Trade Zone worker who was injured in a clash with police, were  remanded by the Negombo Magistrate until June 13. 

They were attached to the Negombo Police Division. The police on Monday initiated  an impartial investigation to probe the clash as the President had ordered to  submit a report on the clash.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa ordered a probe as to how police were sent to the  Katunayake Free Trade Zone (FTZ) on Monday despite orders by the Defence  Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa not to send police to control FTZ workers.

During the clash, 15 policemen and officers including Puttalam DIG Ravi  Wijegunawardena were injured along with dozens of garment workers. Seven of them  were still undergoing treatment at the Ragama General Hospital. (Supun Dias)