Five-year incarceration ends for “Irish Mona” Chief Officer
[07 Apr 2000]

The five-year imprisonment of the Irish Mona’s Chief Officer will end next week when the LTTE releases Wijekoon Herath Mudiyanselage Jayatunge Banda.

Ministry of Defence sources said that Wijekoon, imprisoned after LTTE commandos stormed the passenger ferry Irish Mona in 1995, is to be transferred from Malavi to Gampaha on Monday.

Approval is being granted to the International Committee of the Red Cross to effect the transfer.

Once released, Wijekoon will meet army personnel to review the conditions of detention during his long imprisonment.

Wijekoon was one of several Irish Mona crew members arrested when the Tigers intercepted the vessel on 28 August 1995. 

The passengers and the rest of the ferry’s crew were released shortly after the vessel’s capture. 

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