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Ex-Sri Lanka police officer alleges threats by former defense secretary

Xinhua, February 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

A former Sri Lankan police officer on Thursday alleged that he was forced to flee the country during the previous government due to threats he received from the former defense secretary.

Former Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Prishantha Jayakody who arrived in the island nation on Thursday from Australia, said he had sought protection from the Australian government after allegedly receiving threats from Gotabaya Rajapakse and his henchmen.

Rajapakse is the brother of former President Mahinda Rajapakse who served as the defense secretary during the previous regime.

"I served as the police media spokesman and as a SSP in Ratnapura but I had to leave the country because of severe political pressure I faced. When I refused to succumb to these pressure I received death threats from the former defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and some of his jackals," Jayakody told journalists upon his return at the country's international airport.

"I'm back after one year and seven months because there is good governance now and I believe things will be different with the situation in the country turning to the better," he said.

Jayakody said that even while in Australia he received threats but the Australian government had been proactive in providing protection and keeping him secure.

Gotabaya Rajapakse is already under investigations by the Criminal Investigations Department for his alleged involvement in a coup attempt on the night after the Jan. 8 presidential elections and his alleged connections with two security firms. Endi