SLMM searches Vadamarachchi LTTE political office

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 May 2003, 16:37 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna Friday morning searched the Vadamarachchi political office of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on a complaint by the security forces that they had seen members of the LTTE carrying powerful transmitter equipments in Manalkadu area in the peninsula. However no such items were found in the office after a thorough search, SLMM sources said.

The SLMM head in Jaffna district Friday morning around eleven suddenly arrived at the Vadamarachchi division LTTE office that is located near Nelliady-Vathiri junction followed army and police personnel in four jeeps.

At that time Vadamarachchi political head of the LTTE Mr.Daya was not in his office. Only office employees were present, sources said.

SLMM head in Jaffna told LTTE office employees that he had come to search the office on a complaint by security forces that LTTE cadres were seen at Manalkadu in Vadamarachchi east area with powerful transmitter equipments .

The SLMM head thoroughly searched the office in the presence of army and police personnel. At this juncture the Vadamarachchi divisional political head of the LTTE Mr.Daya arrived at the office. He raised his objection to the SLMM head for searching his office when he was out and also with out the permission of the Jaffna district LTTE headquarters.

Mr.Daya also protested to the SLMM head for conducting the search in the presence of army and police personnel. The SLMM head replied that he did not invite the security personnel. However the security forces officials present said they came to the scene at the invitation of the SLMM head, sources said.

LTTE divisional political head Mr.Daya told the SLMM that transmitters now in the possession of his cadres were brought to Jaffna through A 9 highway with the permission from the authorities concerned. Mr Daya has now brought the matter to the notice of his superiors in Jaffna district, sources said.

Tension prevailed in the area when the SLMM and members of security forces surrounded the LTTE office, sources said.