Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07COLOMBO788
2007-06-01 10:36:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT ARRESTS ANOTHER FORMER
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000788
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
MCC FOR S GROFF, D TETER, D NASSIRY AND E BURKE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT ARRESTS ANOTHER FORMER
RAJAPAKSA FRIEND
REF: A. COLOMBO 263
B. COLOMBO 451
Classified By: A/DCM Michael DeTar for reasons 1.4(b, d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000788
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
MCC FOR S GROFF, D TETER, D NASSIRY AND E BURKE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT ARRESTS ANOTHER FORMER
RAJAPAKSA FRIEND
REF: A. COLOMBO 263
B. COLOMBO 451
Classified By: A/DCM Michael DeTar for reasons 1.4(b, d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: On May 30, 2007, the Terrorism
Investigation Division (TID) arrested the Chairman of
Standard Newspapers Ltd. and former Chairman of the Civil
Aviation Authority, Tiran Alles, on allegations of "aiding
terrorists." The arrest occurred as Alles was receiving
treatment in a private hospital for complications associated
with diabetes. Colombo Chief Magistrate Sarojini Kusala set
Alles' hearing for June 13, but allowed him to stay under
arrest in the hospital rather than in jail until then. Alles
is a close associate of former Foreign Minister Mangala
Samaraweera and former Deputy Minister of Port Development
Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, who were sacked by President
Rajapaksa on February 9, 2007 and have since landed in legal
troubles of their own. The administration's critics,
including Sooriyarachchi, have charged repeatedly that Alles
paid bribes to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
under the direction of then-candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa's
campaign manager, Samaraweera, and Rajapaksa's brother Basil.
The contact with the LTTE during the 2005 presidential
election was allegedly part of an effort to induce the LTTE
to suppress Tamil votes for Rajapaksa's opponent, Ranil
Wickremesinghe. END SUMMARY.
PUBLISHER ARRESTED IN HOSPITAL
--------------
2. (SBU) On May 30, 2007, the Terrorism Investigation
Division (TID) arrested Tiran Alles at the hospital where he
was receiving treatment for complications associated with
diabetes. According to Alles' parents, the arrest came after
approximately a week of interrogations by the TID regarding
unspecified allegations that Alles violated the Prevention of
Terrorism Act (PTA) by aiding the LTTE.
RUMORS OF BRIBES PAID TO THE TIGERS
--------------
3. (C) Rumors have been rampant for months that Alles
provided large sums of cash to the Tamil Tigers during the
2005 presidential campaign. Media outlets have reported that
Alles gave money to the LTTE at the direction of then-Prime
Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's campaign manager, Mangala
Samaraweera, and Rajapaksa's brother Basil (ref A).
According to these reports, Rajapaksa sought the aid of the
LTTE to suppress Tamil votes, the vast majority of which
would likely have been cast for Rajapaksa's opponent, Ranil
Wickremesinghe.
4. (C) Alles' friend and former Deputy Minister of Ports,
Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, has been the most vocal about
Rajapaksa's alleged involvement in bribing the LTTE. He has
continued to hurl these charges even after his arrest on
March 17, 2007 for misuse of a government vehicle (ref B).
The hostility between Sooriyarachchi, Samaraweera, Alles and
Rajapaksa did not break out into the open until shortly
before President Rajapaksa dismissed Sooriyarachchi and
Samaraweera from their ministerial posts on February 9, 2007
(ref A). Alles has kept a much lower profile than the two
former ministers, perhaps seeking to avoid what happened to
Sooriyarachchi.
FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER UNDER PRESSURE
--------------
5. (C) Samaraweera has also been vocal in his criticism of
COLOMBO 00000788 002 OF 002
the President. The latest attempt to mediate a rapprochement
between Samaweera and Rajapaksa failed when Samaraweera
declined the President's offer to rejoin the administration
as Minister for Irrigation. Samaraweera departed Sri Lanka
for London shortly thereafter, reportedly returning on May
30. Also on May 30, almost simultaneously with Alles'
arrest, the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Central
Committee voted to initiate disciplinary action against
Samaraweera. However, President Rajapaksa personally stayed
the order for two weeks to give Samaraweera time to consider
rejoining the administration. Samaraweera apparently now has
two weeks to mull over his options.
6. (C) COMMENT: Rumors that Sooriyarachchi possesses a
video tape implicating Basil Rajapaksa in the LTTE bribery
scandal have circulated for months. Some Embassy
interlocutors claim to have seen parts of it. With the
arrest of Tiran Alles, rumors are again swirling that
Sooriyarachchi will publicly release the video. However, we
have yet to see any concrete evidence that the video exists.
BLAKE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
MCC FOR S GROFF, D TETER, D NASSIRY AND E BURKE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT ARRESTS ANOTHER FORMER
RAJAPAKSA FRIEND
REF: A. COLOMBO 263
B. COLOMBO 451
Classified By: A/DCM Michael DeTar for reasons 1.4(b, d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: On May 30, 2007, the Terrorism
Investigation Division (TID) arrested the Chairman of
Standard Newspapers Ltd. and former Chairman of the Civil
Aviation Authority, Tiran Alles, on allegations of "aiding
terrorists." The arrest occurred as Alles was receiving
treatment in a private hospital for complications associated
with diabetes. Colombo Chief Magistrate Sarojini Kusala set
Alles' hearing for June 13, but allowed him to stay under
arrest in the hospital rather than in jail until then. Alles
is a close associate of former Foreign Minister Mangala
Samaraweera and former Deputy Minister of Port Development
Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, who were sacked by President
Rajapaksa on February 9, 2007 and have since landed in legal
troubles of their own. The administration's critics,
including Sooriyarachchi, have charged repeatedly that Alles
paid bribes to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
under the direction of then-candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa's
campaign manager, Samaraweera, and Rajapaksa's brother Basil.
The contact with the LTTE during the 2005 presidential
election was allegedly part of an effort to induce the LTTE
to suppress Tamil votes for Rajapaksa's opponent, Ranil
Wickremesinghe. END SUMMARY.
PUBLISHER ARRESTED IN HOSPITAL
--------------
2. (SBU) On May 30, 2007, the Terrorism Investigation
Division (TID) arrested Tiran Alles at the hospital where he
was receiving treatment for complications associated with
diabetes. According to Alles' parents, the arrest came after
approximately a week of interrogations by the TID regarding
unspecified allegations that Alles violated the Prevention of
Terrorism Act (PTA) by aiding the LTTE.
RUMORS OF BRIBES PAID TO THE TIGERS
--------------
3. (C) Rumors have been rampant for months that Alles
provided large sums of cash to the Tamil Tigers during the
2005 presidential campaign. Media outlets have reported that
Alles gave money to the LTTE at the direction of then-Prime
Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's campaign manager, Mangala
Samaraweera, and Rajapaksa's brother Basil (ref A).
According to these reports, Rajapaksa sought the aid of the
LTTE to suppress Tamil votes, the vast majority of which
would likely have been cast for Rajapaksa's opponent, Ranil
Wickremesinghe.
4. (C) Alles' friend and former Deputy Minister of Ports,
Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, has been the most vocal about
Rajapaksa's alleged involvement in bribing the LTTE. He has
continued to hurl these charges even after his arrest on
March 17, 2007 for misuse of a government vehicle (ref B).
The hostility between Sooriyarachchi, Samaraweera, Alles and
Rajapaksa did not break out into the open until shortly
before President Rajapaksa dismissed Sooriyarachchi and
Samaraweera from their ministerial posts on February 9, 2007
(ref A). Alles has kept a much lower profile than the two
former ministers, perhaps seeking to avoid what happened to
Sooriyarachchi.
FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER UNDER PRESSURE
--------------
5. (C) Samaraweera has also been vocal in his criticism of
COLOMBO 00000788 002 OF 002
the President. The latest attempt to mediate a rapprochement
between Samaweera and Rajapaksa failed when Samaraweera
declined the President's offer to rejoin the administration
as Minister for Irrigation. Samaraweera departed Sri Lanka
for London shortly thereafter, reportedly returning on May
30. Also on May 30, almost simultaneously with Alles'
arrest, the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Central
Committee voted to initiate disciplinary action against
Samaraweera. However, President Rajapaksa personally stayed
the order for two weeks to give Samaraweera time to consider
rejoining the administration. Samaraweera apparently now has
two weeks to mull over his options.
6. (C) COMMENT: Rumors that Sooriyarachchi possesses a
video tape implicating Basil Rajapaksa in the LTTE bribery
scandal have circulated for months. Some Embassy
interlocutors claim to have seen parts of it. With the
arrest of Tiran Alles, rumors are again swirling that
Sooriyarachchi will publicly release the video. However, we
have yet to see any concrete evidence that the video exists.
BLAKE