My father's murder was planned
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By Hasitha Kuruppu and Anuradha Samuel
Hirunika Premachandra, the daughter of slain politician, Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, says if Duminda Silva can perform miracles, there is no God. "All I can say is, Duminda is not a good man, but a trickster. My father's murder was well-planned. I know Duminda's actual physical and mental status," she alleges in an interview.
Following are excerpts:
Q:
Did you anticipate Duminda Silva to be released on bail?
A: Yes. But I was able to find out many facts regarding Duminda – what the police and the CID could not. I know what happened inside the court house. I firmly believe all the evidence to be true, because I am the one who has genuine interest in finding out details about Duminda, through my relatives abroad. My lawyers described and exposed different information about him and it's different to what we know of his actual physical and mental status too.
Apart from that, through reliable sources I learnt the identities of the persons who went to meet him while he was in hospital. I know very well, how Duminda flew to Singapore from the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital. He was in complete good health. In fact, he went walking to Jayewardenepura Hospital, which means there was nothing wrong with his health, and the fact is now clearly established beyond all doubt.
Q:
Are you implying Duminda has been pretending to be injured? Is he tricking the Court and the people to evade justice?
A: Yes, he did a real sham. He duped the whole country and the courts. Now he has come out. He requested bail, pretending he is still recovering from the surgery. He is living happily with his family members. He was very steady when he came out of the courts complex. When he requested bail he showed a picture to the courts, of a man with an injury on his shaven head and the sutures running right across his skull, just to gain the sympathy of the people and the courts. However, now we don't even see a scar on his skull. He has shown his back to the courts and just smirked. We are worried about that. Now he says he met the President to get his blessings. Why is he going to get blessings and what for? Why? Why should he be blessed, first of all?
Q:
When you heard the news that he is going to meet the President, what was your reaction?
A: Duminda Silva is going to get blessings. I am puzzled as to why he was blessed by the President. I am not frightened to say that doctors in media too conveyed that his condition is critical. Doctors and lawyers, when they enter their professions, take an oath to say that they don't lie or work against their conscience. Had they forgotten that? They had converted the untruth to a truth.
I have to tell you another factor. Most people say the cleverness of a lawyer is dependent on his ability to prove a lie. But in my view, there should be a limit to lying. Some people say Duminda is trying to gain the sympathy of the people by stating that part of his skull is in the refrigerator. This is absurd. We normally know how painful it is when you have a headache. Will a person whose head hit by two bullets walk normally. That is not easy at all. You just can't believe that kind of story.
Q:
Then what will happen to your struggle?
A: From the day I started my struggle I appeared before courts every due day. I didn't hide anything. This case is also followed by the people and it is no more a personal fight. My father was murdered. But today the story is not that. It is not a murder, all and sundry have duped the people. They have misled the courts. That is why I told you that now it seems, as if I have taken the struggle too seriously.
Each day the case was taken up they spoke only about us. I thought they will have something new to add to the issue, but I am still waiting to hear what they are going to say.
We have no powers to deliver judgments in High Court. We are still studying the law, and we obey the law and we honour the law. But Duminda has taken a foolish step. He must be thinking when he is with the public, participating in rallies with the people, the masses are proud of him and will welcome him with open arms. He thinks everyone will accept him as a great politician. But I must tell you, after Duminda was released, people started to hate him even more.
Q:
Are you trying to say the public who gathered at the Courts to see Duminda are angry with him?
A: Every politician has his supporters. I too have supporters. He went to Parliament, with the support of the masses. People cast their vote for him without knowing the nature of the man, sadly. They must have cast their vote for his charismatic looks. But now everyone has realized the real nature of this man. People have realized the truth regarding the sordid murder, with time. I can say without any doubt, the people who cast their vote for him would have changed their minds by now. I am 100% sure of that. Some say the people of Kolonnawa came to courts to see Duminda released. But I think the people of Kolonnawa who loved my father will not welcome Duminda. But some people forget everything with the passage of time. That is natural. But I tried my level best to keep the name of my late father in the minds of the people of Kolonnawa. I also heard Duminda will re-enter politics by giving each household in Kolonnawa, a bag of rice before Vesak.
I cannot pass any remarks on that. That is his wish – and the people's wish to accept it or not. The economic difficulties in the country will probably entice the locals to accept his bag of rice. The higher authorities and senior politicians should be blamed for such acts. People have begun to hate this government, because of the existence of such politicians in our midst us.
Q:
But most of the people say you (Hirunika) have muddled the issue by handling the support of the people incorrectly. Do you agree?
A: I found out many things about the incident by deploying private detectives. But you can't use that in courts. Though I know who Duminda is, the nature of the man. The other disadvantage is the people who know the real picture of Duminda are on his side. So, they are not going to speak against him. Therefore, we have no alternative except to reveal these things to the media. I have been telling this to the media on a continuous basis.
Q:
You climbed the election stage of the UPFA and sang a song. At the same time, you are blaming the senior politicians of the UPFA. Why?
A: Yes. I got on to the stage of the SLFP because of Minister Maithripala Sirisena. I am prepared to get on to the stage again even tomorrow, for Sirisena. I don't regret being on stage. I respect him a lot.
Q:
How are you going to take the struggle to frame the culprits and find justice for your father's killing?
A: I did my best towards the cause by remaining in this country. Now it has reached a certain stage. But everyone seems to have taken the side of Duminda. The next best thing is to apply international pressure to seek justice.
This is not the first time Duminda Silva has behaved in this manner. He will be punished one fine day, and I will not stop my struggle anyway. I will keep reminding the public share the updates of this case.
Category: Hirunika Premachandra, Local, Sri lanka news
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