Danuna - Ekneligoda probes in full throttle

By Gayan Kumara Weerasinghe

The Sri Lanka Police is currently going full throttle in their efforts to find the whereabouts of Danuna Tillakaratne - son-in-law of detained retired General Sarath Fonseka.The police are also on the lookout for disappeared newspaperman Pradeep Ekneligoda whose whereabouts are still unknown.
Police are not leaving any stone unturned in an effort to apprehend Danuna or locating the whereabouts of Ekneligoda.
All investigations to nab Danuna are being carried out by the CID and deal with his involvement in the Hicorp scandal.
Meanwhile, the CID is conducting inquiries to ascertain as to the circumstances of the disappearance of media personality Pradeep Ekneligoda -- and as of now they are unsure as to whether he was kidnapped or is being detained forcibly by an underworld gang.
However, according to reliable CID sources, inquiries which have been conducted into the disappearance of Ekneligoda are at the final stage and suspects who are involved in the case are to be arrested shortly.
Meanwhile, the mastermind behind the disappearance of Ekneligoda is alleged to be a Tamil youth from Batticaloa and he is to be apprehended shortly, a CID source stated.
The same CID source also revealed that all information regarding whether Ekneligoda is among the living, or whether he has been murdered -- or for that matter gone overseas -- could only be ascertained by arresting the suspect.

Functioned as monk

As far as Danuna is concerned it has been over six months since he has disappeared, being one of the main suspects in the Hicorp scandal.
So far nearly 10 different police teams that have been deployed to look for Danuna have drawn a blank. Police say that he has disguised himself and is in hiding. Danuna is said to have even functioned as a monk at a temple in a remote area off Anuradhapura and when CID officials had arrived at the scene, he is said to have disappeared leaving behind his robes.
CID sources added that among the people who had provided shelter to the suspect have been top retired officials of the army, politicians, and people in various other sectors. Investigations are continuing.
It is reported that Danuna is in constant touch with friends and relatives abroad. Meanwhile Rs 10 lakhs has been offered for any information regarding the suspect.
It is also the first time that the police have set aside such a large sum for information leading to the arrest of a suspect, other than a terrorist.
Warrants have been issued by the courts to nab the suspect.
Even with regard to the late LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran such an order had not been made; hence the importance attached to Danuna Tillakaratne’s arrest could be gauged.
He has also been warranted to be present at the Fort Magistrate’s Court by 9.00 am on June 30, 2010 by Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne.

Wealth will be confiscated

If he fails to be present in person that day, all his wealth will be confiscated and taken over by the state, the Fort Chief Magistrate has declared.
It is also reliably learnt that his wealth in this country is said to be running to many millions of rupees.
The CID is firmly of the view that Danuna is in the country and living in disguise.