Lasantha Wickremasekara, the Chairman of the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha, who was recently gunned down by an unidentified assailant, had reportedly sent an official letter to the Inspector General of Police on August 29, stating that his life was under threat. In the letter, he claimed to have received credible information that underworld gangs were attempting to assassinate him and requested that appropriate action be taken.
However, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala, addressing Parliament, revealed that despite being a public representative, the deceased chairman was an underworld criminal. According to the Minister, the late ‘Weligama Lasa’ had six pending court cases and had been out on bail after being sentenced to prison. The Minister further stated in Parliament that Wickremasekara had a case related to earning money through drug trafficking, and recent statements from several organized criminals extradited from Indonesia had revealed he possessed weapons.
The Minister emphasized that the murder was a result of an ongoing dispute among underworld gangs and not a direct threat to public safety. He assured that a formal investigation would be conducted, as the government values human life. The Minister added that, regardless of his affiliation with any political party, at the time of his death, Wickremasekara fell into the category of an underworld operative.
