Hansard officer in parliament arrested for aiding and abetting Zahran

A senior indexing officer attached to the Hansard Department of Parliament who had aided and abetted suicide bomber Zahran Hashim as a leading activist of the National Thawheed Jamaath (NTJ) was arrested by a special police team in Kurunegala on Saturday.

The suspect was apprehended on the information obtained after questioning an electro-cardiologist of Kurunegala Teaching Hospital who had been taken into custody on suspicion with two others on Friday with links to the NTJ.

The Hansard Department officer had been identified as Mohamed Naushad Jalaldeen (42), a father of two children and a resident of Alawatugoda in Kandy.

It has been revealed that he had joined the Translation Section of the Parliament in 2006 as a proof reader prior to this appointment.

In spite of the fact that the normal procedure is to recruit a person for the responsible position in the Parliament, is to sit for a competitive examination. The investigations has revealed that he had obtained this post with the support of a top Muslim politico, violating this procedure.

It has also transpired that he had discussed with several Muslim politicians to remove the Police check points that has been in operation in Akurana Town due to the prevailing emergency situation in the country.

The two of the other three suspects who had been arrested as the members of National Thawheed Jamaat with the electro-cardiologist of Kurunegala Teaching Hospital are the residents of Thalgodapitiya in Ibbagamuwa and the other one is a resident of Alakoladeniya area on Dambulla Road in Kurunegala.

It has been revealed that one suspect (27) who is a resident of Thalgodapitiya in Kurunegala district has worked as a coordinator of several Muslim Extremist Organisations including Thawheed Jamaath.

The other suspect (48) who is a resident of Thalgodapitiya itself was in charge of financial activities of Thawheed Jamaath in Kurunegala District and a cheque amounting to Rs.2.1 million had been found in his possession at the time of his arrest.(Pushpakumara Jayaratna)