Government investigating KP to freeze funds

The government says it is investigating the activities of Kumaran Pathmanathan (KP) in an attempt to eventually freeze, once and for all, the financial networks of the LTTE.

A Foreign Ministry statement issued today quoted Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera as saying that ?KP was, in February, banned from leaving the country.

?Our government is continuing to intensify relations with our intelligence networks abroad and has increased access to real time information from these sources about the activities of the LTTE,? Samaraweera said.

Samaraweera said that the former Government allowed KP to live in Killinochchi and take charge of an NGO handling refugees and victims.

?This is a man who is believed to possess information on the LTTE?s vast international assets – so why was the government protecting him? And moreover, why was the government protecting him when previous US State Department reports noted that LTTE financial networks continued to function? Our government on the other hand, banned KP from leaving the country in February and is investigating his activities, so we may freeze once and for all the financial networks of the LTTE.,? the Foreign Minister said.

He also said that today, the Government is renewing its relations with the international community and is engaging with its bilateral partners as opposed to just lecturing them and talking at them which the previous Government used to do.

He says the Government engage in conversations with the international community in a rational manner on what Sri Lanka?s real concerns are and are able to take steps to build confidence so that Sri Lanka can share information, share intelligence and work together to combat terrorism. (Colombo Gazette)