4TH LEAD (ADDED PHOTO)

Sooriyaarachchi killed in accident

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 February 2008, 08:38 GMT]
Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi, former Sri Lankan Port Development Minister and Chief Co-ordinator of Sri Lanka Freedom Party's (SLFP) Mahajana faction, a splinter group of SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa's SLFP, was killed Saturday at 1:40 p.m. when his vehicle met with an accident at Madegama on Anuradhapura Galgamuwa road, Police said. The driver of the vehicle and two of his personal guards were also killed in the accident when his vehicle, while speeding, slipped off the road and crashed against a tree, according to initial reports.

Mr. Sooriyaarachchi, a former naval officer turned lawyer and a close associate of former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga, has been a key player in challenging Mahinda Rajapaksa regime. Rajapaksa sacked him from his ministerial post exactly one-year ago, on this day.

Sooriyaarachchi's driver and a bodyguard were also killed in the accident on the spot.

One of three others riding the same vehicle, succumbed to his injuries at Anuradhapura hospital, after being transferred from Tambuttegama hospital.

Sooriyaarachchi was on his way to Colombo after visiting Anuradhapura.

The other dead were identified as S.K.R.Silva, the driver, T.P.Samarasingha and Gunaratna.

Sooriyarachchi, 45, father of four, shifted from his Austin Place residence in Borella, Colombo to Kandane after unknown attackers hurled firebombs at his residence in November.



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