Why TID questions Mano Ganesan?

TID questions Mano Ganesan for six hours and obtains statement and the statement contains the issue of last presidential boycott

(August 27, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) questioned Civil Monitoring Commission Convener and Western Peoples Front Leader Mano Ganesan for six hours from 11am on Tuesday. The questions were based on his peace delegation visits to Killinochchi during the CFA period in 2002 and 2004. The TID sleuths wanted to know if Mano had developed any special relationships with LTTE during the those visits. Mano Ganesan’s office has released following statement in this regard.

Western Peoples Front Leader Mano Ganesan accepted the written request extended to him by the Director of TID. This is in accordance with our policy of supporting the maintenance of Law and Order and cooperating with the legal system. Ganesan asked the Director of TID that he be provided with a translator at the time of inquest.

Mano Ganesan said he had given a statement to TID’s OIC-CI Prasanna de Alwis and SI Abdeen of TID/Unit II. The statement had following contents.

Mano Ganesan said he visited Killinochchi during peace process period. It was legal and accepted during that time. All discussions were based on political solution within a united Sri Lankan state. It was not only him but ministers of the present government Arumugan Thondaman and P. Chandrasekaran visited Kilinochchi. Many other government ministers and officials too visited Kilinochchi. Every time Ganesan went to Kilinochchi for discussions, the then prime minister Ranil Wickramasinghe and UNP’s deputy leader Karu Jayasooriya were informed. The last time he went to Kilinochchi was in year 2005. It was the time when Eastern Tiger commander Karuna Amman had rifted from LTTE. Mano Ganesan carried a peace message to LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakaran from then president Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumaratunga on Karuna Amman in 2005. President Chandrika had said that she would offer asylum to Karuna Amman, if Karuna appeals for it. It may happen. But if that happens it should not be considered as an act against the peace process. Ganesan said that he carried this message of Chandrika to Praba. Upon return from Kilinochchi, he met Chandrika and conveyed LTTE leader Prabakaran’s response to her. At this meeting at Presidential palace in Colombo Fort, minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna was present.

Ganesan had vehemently refused any special relationship with LTTE and any link with any arrested terrorist suspects. In view of the question on so called ‘special relationship’, Ganesan said he had no such relationships with LTTE. But many were under such wrong belief. During the close up to last presidential elections, late minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and present presidential advisor Basil Rajapakse MP visited his home requesting Ganesan to help them to develop a special link with LTTE. It was to organize an electoral boycott in the north and eastern province during the presidential elections in November 2005. They came with such wrong impression on him. But Ganesan rejected such request on the grounds that he had no such special relationship with the LTTE to help Jeyaraj and Basil for an election boycott in the north and east.

The statement further said that In the recent past opposition parliamentarians Jayalath Jayawardena of UNP, Vijitha Herath and Ramalingam Chandrasekar of JVP were subjected to inquiries at TID. Many terrorist linked accusations were made inside and outside parliament against many government politicians including of the last presidential election boycott issue. But no police investigations were made against any government politicians named. Ganesan’s comments in total were typed included in his statement to the TID and he placed his signature on it. Mano Ganesan was accompanied to the TID by parliamentarians Jayalath Jayawardena, Johnston Fernando and his Attorney-at-Law Asthika Devendra.
- Sri Lanka Guardian