Sampath Manamperi not a suspect in Nadarajah Raviraj assassination – SLPP
01-Oct-2025.
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam stated that former SLPP member Sampath Manamperi, who was arrested in connection with narcotics, is not a suspect in the assassination of Nadarajah Raviraj. Instead, he is a witness, and no case has been filed against him in that matter.
He made these remarks during a private television interview.
Kariyawasam acknowledged that thousands contested elections under the SLPP banner, and among them could be criminals and antisocial elements, whose past backgrounds were not fully known to the party.
Interview excerpts:
Question: A former SLPP member, Sampath Manamperi, has been arrested in connection with raw materials used in the production of "ice" drugs, with reports linking him to underworld groups. He was also long associated with your party. Once the truth came out, you expelled him but did nothing more. What is your response?
Answer: As President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has pointed out, we cannot conduct baptisms before admitting members into the party. We did not know everyone’s background.
Question: So, do you accept candidates into the party and even grant nominations without verifying their background?
Answer: In the recent local government elections, thousands contested under our party. Among them, there may have been criminals and antisocial individuals.
Question: Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa has stated that Manamperi is a suspect in the Raviraj assassination, and the Police Media Office confirmed it. What do you say about this?
Answer: Sampath Manamperi is not a suspect in the Raviraj case. He is only a witness. I personally verified this. No charges have been filed against him in this matter.
Question: Did you check only after Nalinda Jayatissa’s remarks?
Answer: No, I checked after the media reported it. At the time of nomination, all candidates submitted sworn affidavits. Nowhere did Manamperi mention anything about this matter.
