CIABOC Director warns assassination of Lasantha Wickrematunge was a message to professionals

Ranga Dissanayake, Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), stated that the assassination of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge was intended as a warning to professionals and journalists who challenge political authority and corruption.

Speaking at the launch of a Sinhala translation of a book about Wickrematunge, Dissanayake argued that such killings aim to force individuals to operate within traditional frameworks without challenging powerful interests. He noted that these attacks create a chilling effect, causing professionals and their families to fear the consequences of standing up against wrongdoing.

Dissanayake cited other victims, such as Professor Senaka Bibile and Customs Director Sujith Prasanna Perera, as examples of how targeting individuals can suppress an entire professional community. He emphasized that society must work together to reverse this culture of fear, stating, “If Lasantha is killed and many more Lasanthas emerge, then their message fails.”