Lal Wickrematunga the elder brother of Lasantha Wickrematunge the slain Editor of “The Sunday Leader”is to make a fresh call for an impartial investigation into his brothers assassination at Attidiya road in Ratmalana on January 8th 2009.

Lasantha Wickrematunge

Lalraj Wickrematune along with brother Lasantha was a co-founder of “The Sunday Leader”and served as its Managing Director.

Lasantha was killed by four assassins on two motor cycles while on his way to work on that fateful morning.

The bold and outspoken Editor had been critical of the Rajapaksa regime and published several articles and news stories exposing various acts of corruption, nepotism, misuse and abuse of power by the Rajapaksa Government.

The Rajapaksa Govt engaged in a huge cover up of the killing instead of conducting a full fledged probe into the assassination which shocked the nation at large.

Though a person allegedly in possession of Lasantha’s cellular telephone was arrested as an optical exercise neither the actual assassins nor the powerful forces behind the killing were never arrested.

There has been much speculation that former army commander Gen.Sarath Fonseka was allegedly involved in the incident. Fonseka has denied it and pointed the finger at Defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. Meanwhile Gampaha district MP Mervyn Silva claimed “credit” but no action has been taken against him.

Lasantha’s brother Lalraj has made several appeals to the powers that be in the past that an inquiry be conducted into the killing. This call was supported by several media and human rights organizations. The matter was even raised with former UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Ms. Navi Pillay.

The chief opposition United National Party (UNP)has also been consistently demanding an inquiry into the killing.

The election of Maithripala Sirisena as President backed by a “rainbow”coalition of which the UNP is the leading constituent has created a more conducive political environment for those seeking justice for incidents like the brutal murder of Lasantha

It is under these circumstances that Lalraj Wickrematunge will be making a fresh call that an investigation be conducted into his brother’s killing. It is expected that the new dispensation under Maithripala Sirisena will be receptive to the call and initiate an impartial probe.

Lal will raise the demand for an investigation today January 9th in Attidiya at the place where Lasantha was killed on Jan 8th 2009.A candlelight vigil will commence at 5. 30 pm today in memory of Lasantha

Lal Wickrematunge who will be addressing the event will revive the call for an inquiry there.

There is much hope within the journalist fraternity that a genuine inquiry will be conducted by the new dispensation under Sirisena who triumphed as President in an election held on the same date (Jan 8)that Lasantha was killed.

Lasantha’s daughter Ahimsa Wickrematunge has gone on record earlier that the Presidential poll being held on Jan 8th was “poetic Justice”for her father.