A local court in Sri Lanka has said that it may summon the Army Chief Lieutenant General Crishantha de Silva if he does not cooperate with investigations into the abduction and disappearance of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda.
Colombo suburban court Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake made the comments on Monday when the senior State Attorney Dileepa Peiris complained that the Army had failed to respond to his request for information in late September.
Eknaligoda, a cartoonist and a journalist, has been missing since January 24, 2010, from the time he backed the presidential campaign of the then opposition challenger Sarath Fonseka against incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa. His family members believe that he was kidnapped by pro-government supporters, which the government has denied.
At least six army men attached to military intelligence were suspected in Ekneligoda’s alleged abduction and are currently in custody.
The backers of the former President Rajapaksa are using the case to portray it as an act of political vengeance.
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