July 29, (NIA) – Sri Lankan investigators on Friday questioned a former high ranking police officer over the murder of popular journalist and editor, Lasantha Wickremetunga.
Former Police Chief, Mahinda Balasuriya, arrived at the Police Headquarters in the capital on Friday morning and was questioned by officers of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). Balasuriya was also a former secretary to the Ministry of Law and Order.
Wickrematunge was the founding editor of the privately-run Sunday Leader newspaper. He was shot dead in January 2009 by a group of unidentified men, in a high security zone, while he drove to work in broad daylight.
He was a staunch critic of the former government of Mahinda Rajapaksa, who have denied any role in the editor’s killing.
The Sri Lankan government led by Maithripala Sirisena, who came to power in January 2015, had reopened investigations into Wickremetunga’s murder vowing to commence a thorough investigation and arresting all those involved in the killing.
ADVERTISEMENT
