State Minister Lohan Ratwatta threatened me with death - detainee tells court

• He took out a pistol, aimed it at my forehead and said that I was lying and threatened me

By Upali Ananda   

A suspect who had been detained in Anuradhapura prison under Prevention of Terrorism Act, Pubalasingham Suriyapalan told open court yesterday that State Minister of Plantation Industries and Prison Reforms Lohan Ratwatta who entered the prison made him kneel down and threatened him with death at pistol point forcing him to tell the truth, on September 12, 2019.  

He was giving evidence in the case against the state minister on the charge of entering Anuradhapura Prison at night under the influence of liquor and threatening with death a Tamil terrorist suspect on remand was taken up for hearing before Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate and Addl. District Judge Nalaka Sanjeewa Jayasuriya yesterday. The suspect Lohan Ratwatta  appeared in court when the case was taken up.   

State Counsel Samadari Piyasena informed court that the witness Suriyapalan was not conversant with Sinhala and requested to provide the services of an interpreter.   
The magistrate who upheld the request ordered Court Interpreter Irfahan Mohamed to interpret the witness’s evidence in Tamil to Sinhala and vice versa.   

The witness told court that he was taken into custody by Puliyankulam police on January 08, 2019 on the charge of attempting to reorganize the LTTE and detained in Anuradhapura with eleven other terrorist suspects.   

“ On September 12, 2019 a jail guard informed us that the Minister of Prisons wanted to meet us and take our signatures for release. We were taken out and ordered to line up. Prison Superintendent, the Head Jailer and several police officers were present. An individual, dressed in a long sleeved T-shirt and wearing a hat among them questioned us in connection with what incidents we had been detained. I told him that I was not conversant with Sinhala. Then he took out a pistol, aimed it at my forehead and said that I was lying and threatened me to tell the truth. 

He ordered me to kneel down twice and aimed his pistol at my head. I was so frightened that I started to cry. When he loaded the pistol, Prison Superintendent caught the suspect’s hand. I can identify him as the person in the dock today. (Witness identifies suspect Lohan Ratwatta). Subsequently the officials of the Human Rights Commission visited the prison and recorded our statements. Later we were transferred to Magazine Prisons in Colombo” The witness further stated.   

• State Counsel Samadari Piyasena informed court that the witness Suriyapalan was not conversant with Sinhala and requested the services of an interpreter