Assaulted witness of the Navy abduction case forced out of Naval service, goes into hiding

Lt. Commander Laksiri Geethal Galagamage, a main witness of the Navy abduction for ransom case who was assaulted by a group led by Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne at the Navy Headquarters in Colombo yesterday has gone into hiding. According to sources due to the most recent intimidation, Galagamage has also decided to leave the Naval service as the threats to his life has increased with the sudden political change. 

Galagamage’s statement to the CID directly implicated CDS Wijegunaratne for aiding and abetting the main witness of the case Lt. Commander Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi to abscond and eventually flee the country. 

Galagamage’s is not the only witness to the case that has come under threat recently. Also providing evidence in the case was Naval Intelligence Officer Lt. Commander Krishan Welagedara. His evidence enabled the CID to link several naval officers to the abduction ring including Commander Sumith Ranasinghe who is now a main suspect in the case. 

Last week ISIS news was able to reveal that the life of Lt. Commander Welagedara is in imminent danger following an immediate transfer and appointment granted to Commander Ranasinghe to the Navy HQ as the Navy’s Director Navy of Land Operations (DNLO). According to this latest appointment, the security detail provided to Welagedara due to threats from within the Navy will directly report to Ranasinghe. 

Welagedara provided evidence to the CID regarding Ranasinghe’s involvement in the case. However, he has come under severe persecution within the Navy who has been denying his request for early retirement with a pension while also denying his promotions based on flimsy excuses. In the meantime the Navy has handed over promotions to both Commodore D.K.P. Dassanayake and Commander Sumith Ranasinghe, both suspects in the abduction racket case, currently out on bail, in 2016 with Dassanayake receiving a service extension in July 2018.

Click on below link for information on the incident: https://isis.lk/news/2831-cds-attacks-navy-abduction-case-main-witness-abduction-attempt-says-navy-sources