A Police investigation has been launched into the Secretaries of two Ministries after they were found to have been involved in attempting to secretly excavate in the Mullaitivu and Pudhukudiyiruppu areas to recover gold that had been allegedly buried during the war.
According to reports, a secretary to the Minister Public Security and a secretary to another Minister had been engaged in the secret excavation activity.
Commenting on the matter, Minister of Public Security Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera said the official from his Ministry, who is alleged to have been involved in an unacceptable and regretful incident, has been suspended with immediate effect.
He further said the law enforcement has been instructed to conduct a thorough, and impartial inquiry on a priority basis.
The investigations into the incident have been handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
A stock of gold that had allegedly been buried in the Pudhukudiyiruppu area by the LTTE during the war was set to be excavated under a court order on the 25th of November.
However, as the area residents were commemorating deceased LTTE members during the said week, the excavation was postponed to the 2nd of December, and the area was kept under Police security.
On 23rd November, the Secretaries of the two Ministries had informed the Police Officer in charge of the area that they would be arriving there soon and will meet him upon their arrival.
According to Ada Derana, They had visited the OIC at his official residence and had informed that they have obtained a court order to excavate the said area prior to 25th November and require his assistance to conduct it in secret.
The incident had not been informed to higher officials by the OIC until he was inquired in this regard by a Senior Police officer in charge of the Mullaitivu District, a few days after the visit of the two Ministry Secretaries.
Thereafter, the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in charge of Mullaitivu Division One had launched investigations to determine if the two Ministry officials had abused their powers.
Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Jagath Palihakkara who is in charge of the Northern Province has handed over the investigation report into the incident to the IGP and the Minister of Public Security. (NewsWire)
