Thursday, June 9, 2011

Katunayake clash: 82 police personnel transferred

09 June 2011/ By Supun Dias
Eighty two police personnel including the Katunayake OIC have been transferred, pending investigations being carried out by the CID on the clash between the police and Free Trade Zone (FTZ) workers on May 30, police media spokesman Prishantha Jayakody said yesterday.
He said these transfers were a temporary measure and added that the personnel have been assigned to the police divisions of Kelaniya, Peliyagoda and Gampaha.

Police clashed with unarmed Katunayake FTZ workers who held a massive protest demanding the withdrawal of the proposed private sector pension scheme.

CID arrested Chief Inspector R.M. Ratnayake and Seeduwa police environment unit OIC K.L. Ranasinghe in connection with the violence where a 21-year-old worker Roshen Chanaka was shot dead and more than a hundred workers and nine police personnel were injured.

Two days later Police Chief Mahinda Balasuriya resigned from his post.
DM