Earl Sugi Perera, a key witness in the Batalanda case, shared his harrowing account of torture during an interview with media. Perera, who was abducted on 23rd of March 1990, described being taken to a house in the Batalanda housing complex, where he was subjected to brutal physical abuse.
He recounted that on some occasions, he was forced to wear women’s clothing and wigs. According to Perera, he was beaten by Douglas Peiris and his sons, who would claim to be learning karate while torturing him. “They beat me, they beat me,” he recalled, adding that they would provide him with one meal a day, threatening more beatings if he didn’t eat.
Perera was held for nearly a month before being released after a ransom demand. He recounted being brought to the seventh post on the 13th of March and contacting his father, leading to the payment of a 50,000 rupee ransom. Perera confirmed that he could identify all the individuals involved, including members of Ranil Wickremesinghe’s escort team and Peiris’ associates, expressing his willingness to testify if justice is pursued.
The house where he was held, identified as B8 in the Batalanda complex, was allocated for Peiris’ security personnel and was near the residence of Wickremesinghe’s personal security officer, Sudath Chandrasekara. The Batalanda Commission continues to examine the case, with further testimonies potentially to be called as the pursuit of justice progresses.
