By Colombo Telegraph –
Arjuna Ranawana
Responding to the article “Richard Was Murdered 22 Years Ago: Remembering Richard” by Leel Pathirana, Arjuna Ranawana says “there is a telling innaccuracy in the article”. Arjusna’s response related to the following part of the said article; “Eeverybody had known Richard since he was the English TV news broadcaster, outstanding journalist with remarkable skills and of course of his charisma being an Actor in Cinema and the TV. But the abductors didn’t know his whereabouts and first, they went to Malwatta Road Rajagiriya where Mr/s. Honters resided. Mrs. Noeline Honter was a colleague of Richard and she was working at Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and in ITN (Independent Television network) the abductors had asked for Richard’s address. When Mr. Kenneth Honter had told them that he did not know, they had threatened to kill his son pointing a gun at his neck taking him hostage. However by going through the telephone directory they had got the number of Arjuna Ranawana who worked for the Rupavahini (TV) Corporation and calling him they had got the directions to Richard’s place.”
We below reproduced Arjuan’s full response.
The Editor,
Colombotelegraph.com
Dear Sir/Madam
Article regarding Richard de Zoysa by Leel Pathirana
Let me congratulate you and also express my gratitude for remembering Richard on his death anniversary. It is so important to remind Sri Lankans of the impunity with which those in authority take the lives of citizens.
Also many thanks for reminding everyone that Richard’s killers are roaming free.
However there is a telling innaccuracy in the article that I feel compelled to address.
It was Kenneth Honter who called me and asked me for Richard’s address. It was not his killers. I actually did not know the address and only gave Kenneth directions. That is why the death squad mistakenly woke up the neighbors.
After Richard’s death I gave a voluntary statement to the Welikada Police, which appears not to have been recorded. Several years later on a visit to Sri Lanka I was asked to present myself to the CID where I was questioned for 8 hours. However I never was asked to appear at the murder trial and therefore never gave evidence.
Please be good enough to publish this correction at your earliest.
Best regards,
Arjuna Ranawana
Feb 19th
Edmonton
Canada
Colombo Telegraph 
I think Lasantha was also abducted by these people. Tell me if I’m wrong.
Posted by Bodinayaka | February 20, 2012, 1:46 amBodhinayaka you are wrong my friend.
Lal, Lasantha and their father were close to the Prime Minister and later President Premadasa and that is good reason for the Sunday Leader not wanting to dwell on the atrocities of that period. (July 1983 or the 1988- 1989 massacre of the innocents).
Strangely the Colombo Telegraph has opened a pandora’s box and now if they continue with all honesty you will find that the UNP were involved in more extra judicial killings that Mahinda Rajapakse and this Goverment.
Sarath Fonseka was a 2nd Lieutenent at the time and then he fired shots in anger at the JVP never at the LTTE. Where does the Leader of the Opposition stand today in complaining about the “ill-treatment” metred out to Sarath Fonseka? [Edited out]
Where is Mangala Samaraweera who manipulated the JVP into coming forth with the Batalanda Inquiry report at the “Press Club” now He too is talking about the dhushana and bheeshana of this Government while sitting holding hands with the people who were responsible for the crimes his Bandaranaike Haamu called Bheeshana and Dhooshana. Look hard at these politicians. They are vile hypocrits who will sell their mothers to get into power. If you trust one do it at your peril.
Posted by Peter Casie Chetty | February 20, 2012, 5:54 pmPeter, What about Densil Kobekaduwa? Did he screw JVPers that time with Sarath F? I’m sure UNP guys learn how to put Tyre and burn Sinhalese boys from Ronnie. The Lord Al Mighty punished him with bicycle balls all on his @ss. Thanks Lord for getting all that naughty naughty boys in one shot. I pray for you.
Posted by Bodinayaka | February 20, 2012, 10:50 pmThis comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
In short:
• If you act with maturity and consideration for other users, you should have no problems.
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Posted by Senaka Silva - Japan | February 20, 2012, 4:12 amArjuna Ranawana, Kenneth and Noeline Honter are and will always be reliable, honest and decent people. I was at the Magistrate’s courts to report on the hearing and when Daya Perera cross examined Kenneth Honter about the men in the dock he rightly said he did not recognise them merely because he saw them for a few instances and then was asked to recall what he had seen more than ten years later. They were under threat of seeing people who had already murdered many people about to fire a gun into the head of their child. Emotionally very upset the Honters are not people who will send anyone to prison without being sure.
Part of this comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
In short:
• If you act with maturity and consideration for other users, you should have no problems.
• Don’t be unpleasant. Demonstrate and share the intelligence, wisdom and humour we know you possess.
• Take some responsibility for the quality of the conversations in which you’re participating. Help make this an intelligent place for discussion and it will be.
Posted by Peter Casie Chetty | February 20, 2012, 12:21 pmI agree that the Honters and Arjuna Ranawana are highly respected and reliable people.
As for politicians, they have been, are and will always be self serving scum of the earth- anywhere (not just in SL) on earth or beyond, where ever they may be lurking.
Posted by Ravi | February 21, 2012, 3:41 am