Features
Makandure Madush kills Ranale Samayan
by Hemantha Randunu
(Translated by Uditha Devapriya)
Nawala Nihal was once known as the Godfather of the Underworld. After the disappearance of Nawala Nihal, Makandure Madush claimed that title.
Two days before Makandure Madush’s assassination, he confessed to the crimes he had committed for over 20 years. The six-hour confession made to a high-ranking official revealed many of the secrets behind many of Madush’s crimes.
Madush’s confession revealed all the details of the attack on the prison bus at Ethanamadala in Kalutara and the murder of seven including Ranale Samayan.
The article is based on excerpts from Madush’s confession.
By 2017, Ranale Samayan’s gang had become a big threat to us. Angoda Lokka always complained that he would be killed off at some point by Samayan.
At the time Angoda Lokka had tried twice or thrice to kill Samayan. But none of those plans proved to be successful. I also wanted to murder Samayan.
Makandure Madush began to reflect on those past events one by one in front of a senior police officer. By 2017, the underworld clashes between the underworld gang led by Ranale Samayan and the group led by Angoda Lokka were escalating. Although Ranale Samayan was being held at the Kalutara Prison then, he managed his underworld gang very subtly with the help of some of the corrupt officials at the Kalutara prison. In return, corrupt officials received large sums of money and gifts. The Kalutara prison was a safe haven for Samayan.
After a moment of silence, Madhush raised his voice again.
Angoda Lokka sent a man inside the Nugegoda court to shoot Samayan. But the work went awry. Samayan was shot but he did not die.
Before Samayan was transferred to Kalutara Prison he was in Welikada. His wife brought him everything he wanted when he was inside. Samayan would definitely be hurt if his wife’s visits stopped abruptly and if she was killed. So I told Angoda Lokka to murder Samayan’s wife.
Angoda Lokka handed over the job to two boys and sent them off to Welikada Prison. But all our plans went astray. The two boys mistakenly shot another woman.
Samayan received information that we were trying to kill his wife. So he wanted to get his own back by planning to kill off my wife who was caring for our disabled child in Makandura. After this incident, I developed a great hatred for Samayan. I made a decision to kill Samayan.
Samayan murdered Harsha, his right hand man.
Harsha Yasas is one of the oldest members of Makandure Madush’s underworld gang. Harsha was the mastermind behind the assassination of Danny Hiththetiyage, the Chairman of the Southern Development Authority, at Madush’s request. Harsha was murdered while at a house in Obeysekerepura in Rajagiriya. Harsha was spending the night at his mistress’s house when two of Samayan’s gang members broke in and shot him dead.
We found out he was tightly protected the day he was brought to court. It was difficult for us to do anything inside court. So I planned to attack him while he was being transported on the prison bus from Kalutara. On the other hand, I wanted to do something that would shake the country, creating a huge demand for our team.
The senior police officer was listening very carefully to Madush’s story. It was clear to the police officer that these confessions of Madush were not lies. He asked Madush about several issues that had arisen at that time.
Who made the plan to attack the Prison bus while Samayan was being transported to court?
Madush replied, looking straight at the senior official’s face.
I planned it sir. Ten or fifteen years ago I was in Kalutara Prison for a while. I was taken to court by the Prison bus. There are large coconut estates on either side of the road leading from Kalutara Prison to the Main road.
About 250 meters from the Kalutara prison, there are large coconut plantations on both sides of the road. No two vehicles can cross at the same time. There were two hills on either side. That location I kept on my mind. I decided that this was the best place from which to attack the bus. In the past, when I was being taken to court from Kalutara Prison, small lorries loaded with coconuts were stopped on this road. They were collecting coconuts from the groves nearby. These lorries were often there. This was also on my mind.
The senior police officer could not even imagine how Madush had planned to assassinate Ranale Samayan. Madush had planned to block the bus by leaving a vehicle loaded with coconuts on this road. The officer was surprised by the crafty intelligence in Madush’s plan.
I planned to attack Samayan and called Angoda Lokka from Dubai. I explained to him the plan to attack the Prison bus.
“Go to Kalutara Prison today. Take a good look at the road leading to the main road from Prison. There are two small hills with shrubs on either side of the road. We need to attack the Prison bus by hiding between these two hills. You have to put a lorry and block the road. If this plan is executed correctly, no one can stop us from killing Samayan.”
Angoda Lokka inspected the location, the narrow road and picked the most suitable place to carry out the attack as instructed by Madush. The plan to attack the prison bus and kill Samayan required a large number of weapons. Although it was problem for Angoda Lokka, finding many weapons at once for the attack was a simple problem for Madush.
“Don’t worry, I’ll find the weapons. On the day Samayan is taken to court, a police guard will also arrive. So there’s a big team here. We have to be ready for anything. Otherwise we will be captured. We must have at least ten T-56 weapons. I’ll sort it out,” said Madush, reassuring Angoda Lokka.
The senior police officer had a problem with how the T-56 firearms were obtained for the attack. Where did those weapons come from?, he asked curiously.
I have friends in the security forces. I borrowed six T-56 weapons from a certain Special Security Division, on the promise of returning the weapons after they have served their purpose.
The police officer was stunned by what Madush said. However, it was clear that the information revealed was not untrue taking into recent developments about corrupt officials. The fact that none of the T-56 assault rifles that attacked the prison bus in Kalutara had been found so far had further inflamed the suspicions of the policeman.
Angoda Lokka got the vehicles for attacking the prison bus ready and I set up some people who were needed for this work. Angoda Lokka and his student of sorts, Ladiya, were ready to lead this attack.
Makandure Madhush had a very good intelligence network. Using his spies, Madusha was able to find out much about what was going on at the Kalutara prison.
A few of the people who work at the prison are good friends of mine. I’m informed about everything. I knew in advance that the bus carrying Samayan to court would not receive a police guard. It made our work easier. The weapons of the jailors were old. We do not have to work hard to get used to them. We did not have to worry about the prison guard.
“Five members of the underworld gang, including Samayan, were due to be produced in court on February 27, 2017. We will complete our plan on the 27th,” I told Angoda Lokka, giving the necessary instructions. “Madush, we will be arrested by the police at some point after this attack. So take us to Dubai after the attack,” Angoda Lokka told me.
I thought if Angoda Lokka came to Dubai, it would create a problem for me. So, I planned to send him off to India. I had a partner engaged in the drug trade in India named Suresh. I entrusted the task of taking care of Angoda Lokka and Ladiya to Suresh. The task of transporting these two to India by boat was handed over to Modara Pukudikanna.
By February 26, 2017, everything needed for the attack was ready. Angoda Lokka arranged a cab and a van to go to the location. At that time Angoda Lokka had seized six T-56 firearms which were allegedly obtained from a high-ranking officer in the security forces. Three of those who joined the attack had received police uniforms. Angoda Lokka also received a police inspector’s uniform.
I talked on the phone with every person assigned for the attack. They were encouraged by my words. Some of the boys were a little scared. I talked to them and motivated them. The underworld thugs including Angoda Lokka and Ladiya were stationed in the area where the attack was planned at around 7.30 am on the 27th.
There were 11 guards for security. They had seven weapons. The two buses were scheduled to leave at 8.00 am. There are five people in the prison bus on the front. I was informed that there were six people on the second bus. I immediately passed all that information to the Angoda Lokka.
A double cab was stopped in the middle of the road blocking it. Five boys were stationed between two hills with bushes on either side of the road. They were prepared to shoot from the sides of the bus. Three men in police uniforms and two other boys were on the road. They were instructed to attack the front of the prison bus.
When the two prison buses left the prison and came along the narrow road, Angoda Lokka and a few boys were blocking the road. The guards must have thought the police were blocking the road. As the two buses approached, our boys were shooting from the front. Within seconds, the boys, who were hiding in the hills on either side of the road, began firing too.
The guards couldn’t do anything. In five or six minutes we were done. Samayan, who had been shot inside the bus, was dragged to the door of the bus. Angoda Lokka put him down and fired a few more shots. One of the shooters showed me all this in a WhatsApp video call. We had no intention of killing any of the prison guard. But it was necessary for the plan to succeed.
Sir, we returned the T-56 weapons after the attack. That’s where our deal ended. That same night Angoda Lokka and Ladiya were taken to India. I was so happy with how the plan turned out, and it relieved me.
Makandure Madush ended his six hour confession in front of a senior police officer. Exactly two days after making this confession, Madush was shot by an unknown gunman.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
