
Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa was very aware of the assassination of former MP Nadaraja Raviraj and arranged a payment of Rs 50 million to the Karuna group, a police constable of the intelligence unit, claimed giving evidence before Colombo Additional Magistrate Thilina Gamage yesterday. The witness, Liyanarachchige Abayaratne, claimed that the murder was carried out with the knowledge of several senior police officers. He added that he was in contact with the Karuna group after he was transferred to the National Intelligence Bureau in 2005. Furthermore, he gave details of meetings with some Navy personnel and Karuna group members whom he suspected to be conspiring to murder Raviraj.