TID questioned Ganesan on his visits to Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 14:08 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) on Tuesday questioned Civil Monitoring Commission Convener and Western Peoples Front Leader Mano Ganesan for six hours from 11:00 a.m. The questions were based on his peace delegation visits to Ki'linochchi during the CFA period between 2002 and 2004. The TID wanted to know if he had developed any 'special relationship' with the LTTE during the these visits. Mano Ganesan has vehemently refused any 'special relationship' with LTTE and any link with any arrested 'terrorist suspects', according to a statement released Wednesday by his office in Colombo.

Mr. Mano Ganesan, in the statement issued to media, said he had accepted a written request extended to him by the Director of the TID. He had requested the TID to provide a translator at the time of inquest.

Mano Ganesan said he had given a statement to TID’s OIC-CI Prasanna de Alwis and SI Abdeen of TID/Unit II.

The statement had following contents, according to Mano Ganesan's office:

Mano Ganesan told the TID investigators that he visited Ki'linochchi during the peace process as it was legal and accepted during that time. "All discussions were based on political solution within a united Sri Lankan state." It was not only him, but ministers of the present government Arumugan Thondaman and P. Chandrasekaran who also visited Ki'linochchi during this time. Many other government ministers and officials too visited Ki'linochchi.

Every time Ganesan went to Ki'ilnochchi for discussions, the then prime minister Ranil Wickramasinghe and UNP’s deputy leader Karu Jayasooriya were informed.

The last time he went to Ki'linohchchi was in year 2005. It was the time when Eastern LTTE commander Karuna had rifted from the LTTE. Mano Ganesan carried a peace message to LTTE leader Velupillai Pirapaharan from then president Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumaratunga on Karuna issue.

Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga had said that she would offer asylum to Karuna, if Karuna appeals for it. If that happens, it should not be considered as an act against the peace process, was the message he was asked to convey to the LTTE. Upon return from Ki'linochchi, he met Kumaratunga and conveyed LTTE leader's response to her at a meeting at Presidential palace in Colombo Fort, where minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna was also present.

During the close up to last presidential elections, late Sri Lankan minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and present presidential advisor Basil Rajapaksa visited his home requesting him to help them to develop a 'special link' with the LTTE. It was to organize an electoral boycott in the north and eastern provinces during the presidential elections in November 2005. "They came with such wrong impression," Mano Ganesan said. But, he rejected such request on the grounds that he had no such 'special relationship' with the LTTE to help Fernandopulle and Basil Rajapaksa for an election boycott in the north and east.

Mano Ganesan’s comments in total were typed and included in his statement to the TID and he placed his signature on it.

He was accompanied to the TID by parliamentarians Jayalath Jayawardena, Johnston Fernando and his Attorney-at-Law Asthika Devendra.

Chronology: