8:35 AM

KP sings about DPL, VIP links

Despite him being an internationally wanted fugitive, LTTE’s self-proclaimed leader since the killing of Velupillai Prabhakaran, Selvarasa Pathmanathan has revealed shocking details about his continuing links with top officials of international organisations and ambassadors of leading Western nations serving in Colombo.

Since he was whisked to Colombo from Malaysia via Bangkok on Thursday night after a daring seize at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday afternoon, Selvarasa a.k.a. Kumaran Pathmanathan has been under interrogation at an undisclosed location in Colombo.

According to sources, he has also revealed details of Tiger leaders still hiding among civilians in IDP camps and about leaders who had managed to escape from those camps to India and Western countries.
As to details about the massive war chest of the organisation, placed by experts at billions of dollars, KP had claimed that he was not aware of those details as Prabhakaran had entrusted those functions to other people. But he has divulged information about his LTTE links in Western countries.

However, he has confessed that the bulk of the LTTE finances had come from Switzerland, followed by UK, South Africa, Australia and Canada.

Under intense questioning, he has also confessed to heading the organisation’s shipping, banking and arms dealing through a carefully selected special team.

Contrary to reports about India seeking KP’s extradition over his involvement in the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, highly placed government sources said, there had been no such requests so far and even if there are in the future, before acceding to any such requests, the LTTE’s new self-proclaimed leader would first have to face the judicial system here for the crimes he has committed against Sri Lanka.

Sleuths who are grilling him have yet to obtain information about Tiger weapon procurement details, its international links, payment procedures, and even its shipping network.

They are also said to be particularly interested in finding out details about all his movements in the last two months since the crushing of the organisation militarily in the Wanni, especially how he had made wide ranging links with the rival group that challenged his leadership role and then finally brought about a settlement with them last month, after protracted negotiations.

KP’s leadership was recognised indirectly in an official press release by the re-structured LTTE, which stated as follows:

“We, the Executive Committee of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, wish to officially let our beloved Tamil people and the international community know that Selvarasa Pathmanathan, who had been appointed as Head of International Relations by our National Leader, will lead us into the next steps of our freedom struggle according to the vision of our esteemed leader.”

Under the new unified dispensation, KP was to be “Thalaimai Seyalar” (Chief Secretary/Secretary General) and head of the organisation.

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