Ketapearachchi takes fight to Somawansa

JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe on Sunday threatened to take legal action against Sampath Dimuthu Ketapearachchi, an associate of JVP Colombo District Parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti for allegedly divulging internal party details to the media and thereby bringing disrepute to the party as well as the party leadership.
Amarasinghe who participated in a political interview hosted by a private TV station on Sunday night lambasted Ketapearachchi when the latter posed several questions to the JVP Leader during the programme.
Ketapearachchi had asked Amarasinghe for his response to the present plight of the JVP, which has called itself to be a party that adheres to a strict code of ethics, when members of the party have violated party discipline. He had also said that Handunnetti was placed under unofficial house arrest with Amarasinghe's knowledge and that when details were being highlighted, the JVP had started to threaten Ketapearachchi.
Ketapearachchi had then alleged that contrary to statements made by the party leadership, the party was preparing itself for another armed insurgency. Ketapearachchi, who was a former JVP member, had also said that the party that ruined the lives of many students during its insurgencies was now involved in shady business dealings and was carrying out propaganda work for a company that manufactures sanitary napkins.
Amarasinghe had responded saying that the JVP adhered to a code of ethics and any party member who has violated it would be dealt with regardless of the position held by them in the party. The JVP Leader had said that any member who has violated party discipline would be subject to a disciplinary inquiry.
"Since the party's inception, thousands have left the party, but no one has divulged details about the goings on of the party except for a very few," Amarasinghe had said.
As for the Handunnetti saga, Amarasinghe had said that if Ketapearachchi had received death threats and had any details about the so-called house arrest he should make a police complaint.
Amarasinghe had lost his cool and said that since Ketapearachchi had named him as being involved in the Handunnetti case, he would look into what can be done about it and said he would take legal action against Ketapearachchi.
Amarasinghe had however not responded to Ketapearachchi's statement on the party's preparedness to initiate another armed insurgency and the party's alleged business dealings.
Ketapearachchi told The Morning Leader that Amarasinghe had threatened to take legal action against him for speaking the truth.
"Handunnetti was placed under unofficial house arrest by the party and according to Amarasinghe the party seems to have made the decision without his knowledge. I am ready to face Amarasinghe in courts," he said.
Ketapearachchi said that he had already lodged a police complaint on the threats received by him along with the names of the JVP members involved.
Ketapearachchi in January lodged a complaint with the Welikada Police on threats to his life by members from the JVP for allegedly leaking information of internal party conflicts to the media.
The Welikada Police in January reported facts to court and obtained approval to proceed with the investigation including approval to verify necessary telephone records.
Ketapearachchi lodged the complaint with the Welikada Police stating that several JVP members attached to local government bodies as well as several other members of the party had threatened him with death for allegedly leaking information of Handunnetti's unofficial house arrest and deals of the party.
In his complaint, Ketapearachchi had named JVP Colombo District organiser, Priyantha, Western Provincial Council Member Mohamed Nafli, Colombo Municipal Council Members Ravi and Hemantha as arriving in a vehicle bearing number GK 5045 and threatening to kill him and dump his body in the Diyawanna Oya.
Ketapearachchi told The Morning Leader that the reason he lodged a complaint with the police was due to the threat posed to his life by the JVP.
He said that he worked to save Handunnetti from his present plight. According to him, Handunnetti who had raised a voice against the JVP's business deals was being considered a stumbling block to the party's 'progress' by several senior members.
"Handunnetti knew that he would one day be prisoner of his own party and he told me that in case any such issue came out, I had to go to the media with the details he had given me. That is what I did," Ketapearachchi said.
The Welikada Police filed a case in the Magistrate's Colombo No: 4 on the alleged threat to Ketapearachchi's life by members of the JVP.