LLRC accused of disclosing list of Tamil witnesses to CID

Tamil witnessess who gave evidence at the sittings of the Sri Lanka’s Lessons learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and whose evidence was taken under the oath of secrecy have now been singled out for interrogation by the Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department, sources in Colombo said. The LLRC, in contravention to the agreement with the witnesses, has allegedly disclosed the witness details to law enforcement authorities, placing lives of witnesses in danger, as revealed by the summons issued by the CID to 45-year old Ratnam Poongoothai, to appear before the CID in Colombo, legal sources said.

Details of alleged violation of witness privacy by the LLRC, emerged the CID issued summon through the Kalmunai Police to Poongoothai, mother of four children of Kalmunai in Ampaarai district to appear on November 25 before by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Sri Lanka Police in Colombo.

LLRC directed Poongkoathai to appear at the Kalmunai Police Station instead of travelling to Colombo following her inability to travel to Colombo and meet the CID due to fear of her security and her dire fianancial situation. She said that she is thinking of making a statement to Kalmunai Police accompanied by human rights commission officials and with a lawyer to avoid further harassment.

Poongkoathai gave evidence before the LLRC and pleaded to locate her sister, mother of three children, who had been abducted by Iniyapaarathi, a cadre of the Karuna para military group.

Iniyapaarathi now holds the post of Ampaarai district coordinating officer of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Poongoothai also was abducted along with her sister but she fortunately escaped after ten days.

Poongkoathai recalled an incident that took place under the then UNP regime in which her sister was subjected to sexual assault by ten persons. Since then her sister has been in mentally deranged state. She added that her husband and two brothers also suffered in that incident.

Poongkoathai further revealed that after 2007 Iniyapaarathy came to her house and attacked her mother and three sisters and dragged them out of their house and kept them in their custody for ten days. She and members of her family underwent untold hardships, Poongkoathai said.

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