11:51 PM

Gotabhaya says ZOA PM had LTTE links

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa confirmed that the Kilinochchi Project Manager of Zoa, who was ordered out of the country last week, had been working for the LTTE.

Rajapaksa said Zoa PM’s LTTE connections had become patently clear from his decision to stay in Kilinochchi with the LTTE in defiance of the Defence Ministry order for INGO’s to shift to Vavuniya.

The Defence Secretary said Zoa had forwarded its PM’s letter stating his decision to stay back in Kilinochchci to the Defence Ministry.

He said the Zoa official holding an Italian passport may have reconsidered his decision to be with the LTTE.

However Rajapaksa said, the Defence Ministry was convinced that the Zoa PM had links with the LTTE.

10:50 PM

ZOA project manager to be deported immediately

The government has decided to deport with immediate effect ZOA Project Manager in Kilinochchiwho had refused to accede to the request by the government to leave Kilinochchi, Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe said yesterday (3).

At a press conference at his ministry, he said the Italian INGO official had refused to leave Kilinochchi for Vavuniya when all other foreign NGO personnel obliged.

It would be dangerous to allow persons like him who did not follow government orders to operate in the country, the Minister said.

Steps would be taken to cancel his visa and deport him immediately, the Minister said.

A stock of 650 tons of food had been dispatched to the Vanni for the benefit of the displaced civilians of the region and in the next few days a further stock of 5,020 tons of food will be dispatched to Kilinochchi and Mulaitivu Districts from Vavuniya. The policy of the government was to ensure that the civilians even in the terrorist controlled areas were supplied with adequate stocks of food Samarasinghe said.