(COLOMBO) – The Sri Lankan police on Thursday said that they were investigating with an open mind after a colleague fled the country citing death threats and intimidation from organized crime syndicates.
Police Inspector Duminda Jayathilaka, the Officer In-Charge of the Organized Crime Division at the Colombo Crimes Division, left for France on February 14 from the Bandaranaike International Airport, accompanied by personal security guards, as a precaution against the threats looming over him and his family.
Inspector Jayathilaka made several statements to the media from aboard the plane about the threats he had allegedly received from alleged criminals.
However Police spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa said there is reasonable doubt and suspicion about all the incidents and that police suspect the Inspector may have tried to seek benefits or advantages.
Thalduwa said the IP had not initially disclosed to senior officers on the threats he had received. However, after he disclosed the threats to his superiors he was provided with an official firearm for his personal protection.
However despite this measure, he opted to leave for France ensuring the safety of his wife and seven-year-old daughter in a secure location within the country, Thalduwa added.
He said the officer obtained leave from February 14 to March 6 and that if he does not return for duty before March 6, the Department will consider him as having vacated his post.
What good interlocutors 🙂
This is a concerning situation where a police inspector claims to have fled the country due to death threats from organized crime syndicates, yet the police are investigating with an open mind and suspecting ulterior motives. It raises questions about the safety of law enforcement officers dealing with such powerful criminal elements.