Secret detention camps of Sri Lanka Navy detected in Colombo and Trincomalee

Media reports revealed yesterday that secret detention camps of Sri Lanka Navy detected in Colombo and Trincomalee. These camps had existed in Colombo, Chaithiya Road under the name “Puttu Pampu” and an underground camp under the name “Gunside” under the Sri Lanka Sea and Oceanography Science Faculty premises inside Sri Lanka Navy Base in Trincomalee.

These had been established on expressed purpose of detaining LTTE suspects.

Evidence had been received by the CID that the 11 people including 5 students abducted from Colombo and in around it were detained in these secret camps. .

These information were revealed by the CID who is making inquiries on a complaint by former Sri Lanka Navy Commander, Admiral Vasantha Karanagoda against his former security in charge Lt. Commander Sampath Munasinghe.

On an special order from Magistrate Court, a group of CID officers, led by  Nishantha de Silva  had inspected these two secret camps.

The secret camp “Gunside” inclusive of the underground detention cells in the Sri Lanka Navy Base in Trincomalee is currently closed and sealed.

Further , 22 persons including the former Officer Commanding Of  the Navy base and currently the Director of the Navy Head Quarters Logistics Branch, Commander Kasyaba Gotabhaya Paul had testified to the regarding these secret camps.

The CID had submitted a report regarding this to the Fort Magistrate, Priyantha Liyanaage.

Meanwhile, earlier on June 24 2015, during a judicial proceeding,  Sub Inspector Nishantha Silva of the CID had told Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya  that the former Navy Commander and several high ranking officers of the Navy were aware of abductions which took place on September 17, 2008 in Dehiwala.

“When the case was taken up for hearing  at the Colombo Chief Magistrate Court, SI Nishantha said the duty of the higher authorities of the Sri Lanka Navy would have been to release the abducted children without detaining them in torture houses if they found that the children were not involved in any criminal activity,” the state owned Daily news had reported on 24 June 2015.

“It has also been revealed that even several Ministers were aware that those children were held in custody by the authorities,” SI has told the court, while giving evidence in the Habeas Corpus application filed in respect of five children, including two medical students.

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera had denied the existence of secret detention camps in Sri Lanka in May 2015.

Responding to a query at a media briefing at Sirikotha on 7 May 2015, FM Samaraweera said: “Last week, I had an opportunity to meet a group of mothers still looking for their missing children. The issue of secret detention camps came up and assured them such facilities do not exist. I assured them of a thorough inquiry in case they could reveal secret detention camps.”