Transfer of CID official investigating navy abductions and journalist murder cancelled

<p>The planned transfer of a CID official responsible for several high profile crime cases involving former government or armed force figures has been cancelled by the police commission according to Daily FT.</p> <p>Nishantha Silva, officer in charge of the organised crimes division at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was given a transfer order to ordinary duties in Negombo, reportedly on the orders of the Sri Lankan president.</p> <p>The transfer raised serious questions about the future of cases Silva had been in charge of, including the case of the abduction and murder of 11 Tamil youths by Sri Lankan navy personnel, as well as of several other high profile murders and assault cases.</p> <p>Human rights activists observed that the move underscored the hopelessness of expecting domestic justice for atrocity crimes and politically motivated crimes carried out by the state.</p> <p>According to reports the transfer order was meted out by President Maithripala Sirisena at the behest of Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne - an official implicated in the navy abduction ring and whose arrest the CID under Silva has requested from the court.</p>