Lanka police reverse decision to remove top detective probing alleged crimes by Rajapaksa family

Sri Lankan police did a U-turn on Tuesday and reversed its decision to transfer a top detective investigating alleged crimes by the family and associates of disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa following pressure from civil society groups.

Removing Inspector Nishantha Silva was seen as a latest move in the ongoing political crisis as President Maithripala Sirisena forged a new alliance with ex-strongman Rajapaksa.

The country plunged into a crisis on October 26 when President Sirisena controversially sacked prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with Rajapaksa.

Officials said the transfer of Silva, who handled many cases of murder and abduction of journalists and serious crimes committed under the Rajapaksa regime was cancelled by the police chief following inquiries by the police commission.

The cases handled by Silva included the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunga, the editor of the Sunday Leader who was a critic of the former Rajapaksa regime.

Silva was also the main investigator in the disappearance of cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda, another high-profile case during the Rajapaksa administration.

Reports said President Sirisena asked police chief Pujith Jayasundera to transfer Silva out of the crime investigation department.

On Monday, Silva, Officer-In-Charge of the Organised Crimes Investigation Division of Crimes Investigation Department (CID) was transferred to the Negombo Police Division for normal duties.

However, the independent police commission on public complaints asked Jayasundera, the Inspector General of Police to cancel Silva's transfer.

Commenting on the police commission's intervention, Wickremesinghe said that the cancelation of Silva's transfer "symbolised the functioning of strong democratic institutions against arbitrary and tyrannical moves of the executive."
Meanwhile, the daughter of Wickrematunga, Ahimsa in a letter to President Sirisena on Tuesday said, "I know Inspector Silva as the lead investigator into the murder of my father Lasantha Wickrematunga who was bludgeoned to death on 8 January 2009."
Sirisena's decision to sack prime minister Wickremesinghe has attracted