NewsA court ordered the arrest of Sri Lanka's top military officer in connection with the abduction and murder of 11 people during the island's civil war. Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi, a navy intelligence officer, was accused of leading a hit squad that kidnapped 11 young men between 2008 and 2009 during the final stages of the war. Hettiarachchi was arrested earlier this month in Colombo after a months-long manhunt that saw an alert issued worldwide. "There is evidence against Admiral Wijegunaratne's role in allowing the accused to evade arrest," Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigations Department told the magistrate. Police have told the court that Hettiarachchi was also wanted in connection with the 2006 murder of Tamil lawmaker Nadarajah Raviraj.

Source: Sunday Times August 30, 2018 03:56 UTC