RESTORING THE ARMY OFFICER IN ACTIVE SERVICE WHO IS AN ACCUSE FOR MURDERS AND ABDUCTIONS

Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) strongly condemn the decision taken to restore Major Prabhath Bulathwatte  who is the main suspect in the abduction of journalist Keith Noyar in 2008 and the leader of the shadowy military intelligence unit suspected to have been behind the murder of The Sunday Leader Editor, Lasantha Wickrematunge in 2009.   Lt. General Mahesh Senanayake, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army mentioned about this during the television interview on last Saturday night.

Major Bulathwatte has been taken into custody in 2017 on Keith Noyar’s incident and bailed-out later. We believe that his reinstatement as an active intelligence officer will spark fears about ongoing sensitive investigations relating to crimes against journalists and media institutions. Bulathwatte and his men are implicated in several of these cases. Also threats may receive to the officers and witnesses and their family members who are supporting to carry out the above investigations.

Therefore, SLWJA expect that president and the Government will take necessary steps to correct this mistake.