Edirisinghe Jayamanna , 52, Jayamanne was a father of three. A former Sergeant Major attached to Army Intelligence, has in a suicide note claimed it was he who killed Sunday Leader founding Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge and not the now incarcerated suspect Premananda Udalagama.
Kegalla Police said Jayamanne had committed suicide by hanging himself at his residence in Karandupana, Kegalle yesterday (14 ), pleading in the suicide note for Udalagama to be set free.
Police said the letter was found pinned to his sarong and his son has at the post-mortem at the Kegalle Hospital verified the handwriting as being his father’s.
Kegalle Police had also called for Police experts to probe the contents of the letter which has been handed over to top Police officers in charge of the Kegalle District.
Police said further inquiries are being conducted to verify whether the suspect had obtained compensation after being released on appeal before being convicted in the Millennium City weapons haul a couple of years ago.
Edirisinghe Jayamanne, then a Staff Sergeant, was one among five top Army men who filed a Fundamental Rights Case in the Millennium City arms haul controversy, in the Supreme Court several years ago.
The others who filed FR appeals in that Case were Captain Mohamed Nilam, Sergeant Ananda Udalagama, Lance Corporal Mohamed Silmy and Corporal Nissanka Herath.
