The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Zephania Ubwani
1 September 2009
Arusha — Police here have dismissed reports from the UN headquarters in New York that the late trial attorney with the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) was murdered.
A senior police officer yesterday insisted, under condition of anonymity, that investigations were still underway on the death of the UN employee, Mr Shyamlal Rajapaksa, a Sri Lankan national. He was found dead in his residence early this month.
The officer said they were still awaiting a post-mortem report on his death and wondered how the UN had reached the conclusion that the former ICTR worker was murdered.
"There is no truth whatsoever with these (UN) reports because investigations have not been concluded," he said over the phone.
He added that police detectives, in collaboration with forensic experts, were still looking for more clues on the death of the ICTR official.
The body of Mr Rajapaksa, 45, who has worked with UN in Arusha for about five years, was first detected by his house helper on the morning of August 12 in his sitting room.
Police said samples of alcoholic drinks and drugs, which were found beside his body, have also been taken to the chief government chemist in Dar es Salaam for analysis.
"Once these samples have been examined and the post-morterm report out, we will be in a better position to know what killed him," he insisted.
Last week, reports from New York quoted a senior UN official saying preliminary findings have indicated that the Sri Lankan national was murdered in his Arusha home.
Ms Michele Montas, a spokesperson for UN secretary general Ban Kimoon, made the remarks while responding to allegations that the UN was involved in a cover up of the death.
A Sri Lankan government official was also quoted by various newspapers abroad as saying that they were still awaiting the report on the death from authorities in Tanzania.
"Accountability is clearly with the UN, whether the death was caused by natural causes or otherwise since Mr Rajapaksa was working for the world body," said Mr Palitha Kohona, the Sri Lankan outgoing foreign secretary.
In another twist of events close relatives of the late official, who is said to have been a nephew of the Sri Lankan president, have linked the death to the Rwanda genocide which took place 15 years ago.
For instance, his mother claimed that her son possessed 'a damning report' that has shed some light on the 1994 Rwanda massacres which led to UN setting up the ICTR.
"My son has been on a five-year fact finding mission regarding the massacres in Rwanda, a task from which several others opted out because of the dangers involved," she said.
Ms Lalitha Rajapaksa accused UN officials of trying to cover up the murder. She said the truth could be found out if investigators retrieved "the bombshell" report on the genocide that her son had.
But police in Arusha have repeatedly dismissed reports of purported murder, stressing that there was no evidence so far to support the claims.
However, the Arusha regional police commander, Mr Matei Basilio, confirmed early last week that police were still looking for two people who were last seen with the deceased.
Police have also questioned a watchman who used to guard the UN official's residence along Naura Street in Arusha and the house helper, the first person to stumble on the dead body.
On the fateful night (August 11), when Mr Rajapaksa was last seen alive, two strangers were stopped by the watchman, Tumaini Lukumay, 45 from getting inside the house.
However, the late UN official came out of his house balcony and ordered him to open the gate for the two Tanzanian male friends who have since disappeared.
The trio are believed to have been taking hard drinks and narcotic drugs at the sitting room from around 8:30p.m to about 11p.m when the two strangers left.
After the death was reported, samples of drinks and drugs were taken by forensic experts for examination while the body was sent to the Kilimamjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Moshi for a post-mortem.
A Tanzanian UN official at the ICTR yesterday hit out at foreign media reports that Mr Rajapaksa was murdered, saying they aimed to tarnish the good image of Tanzania.
"There is nothing like that (murder). Tanzania has been a haven for UN employees and foreign nationals for many years, he said. The truth will be known after the post-mortem findings," said the employee who did not want to be named.
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