Sri Lanka airport on alert after top officer flees country over death threats

A top Sri Lankan cop, inspector Nishantha Silva had fled the country following death threats made against him. The death threats began after November 16 which is after Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected as the 8th President of Sri Lanka. Gotabaya Rajapaksha was also being investigated by inspector Silva.

Travel restrictions imposed on cops

After inspector Silva fled the island, the Sri Lankan government put all airports on alert in order to stop the exodus of any more police detectives out of the country without permission. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera state that the government has given the names of 704 Criminal Investigation Division (CID) officers to the immigration authorities. 
He said the move was an attempt to prevent officers from leaving the country without obtaining proper permission for overseas travel. An official inquiry has been launched into the departure of the inspector.

Before his departure, inspector Silva was investigating high profile killings and corruption that involved the administration members of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. The current government when in the Opposition had charged that all investigations carried out by Silva were politically-motivated. Police Headquarters instructed the CID Director to immediately conduct an investigation and report back, local media reported. Citing Silva’s overseas travel as a breach of Police discipline, SSP Ruwan Gunasekera said disciplinary action will also be instituted against him. Shani Abeysekera, the most reputed official in the police’s criminal investigations department, was also transferred from the capital to the southern province.

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One of the high profile cases that inspector Silva was working on was the 2009 assassination of editor Lasantha Wickrematunga. Mahinda Rajapaksa has returned to power as prime minister after he leads his younger brother to victory in the presidential elections. Under allegations of leading biased investigation, inspector Silva was removed from his CID post but was reinstated after the government collapsed. Inspector Silva is allegedly seeking asylum in Switzerland. The Sri Lankan police have stated that there is currently no pending disciplinary action against Silva but an investigation was launched into how he managed to leave the country without prior permission.

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