ECONOMYNEXT – The Bar Affiliation of Sri Lanka has raised considerations over a doable assessment by the Cupboard of Ministers over the Lawyer Basic’s determination to launch three suspects associated to a high-profile killing of an editor in 2008.
Sri Lanka’s Lawyer-Basic has launched three key suspects within the long-running assassination case of high-profile editor Lasantha Wickrematunge, paperwork confirmed this week. The transfer has shocked individuals who have been looking for justice for a very long time.
Lawyer-Basic Parinda Ranasinghe (Jnr) has ordered the discharge of Premanand Udalagama, a former navy intelligence officer, and Prasanna Nanayakkara, the then-DIG, who was remanded and bailed after proof linking them to the homicide and sabotaging the investigation.
“The BASL is firmly of the view that choices of the Lawyer Basic in legal issues shouldn’t be reviewed by the political authorities together with the Cupboard of Ministers as that may undermine the independence of the workplace of the Lawyer Basic, which is essential to uphold the rule of legislation,” the BASL stated in a letter to President Anura Kumara Disanayake.
The BASL stated while the AG is a public functionary and as such is accountable to the general public for his choices, the AG performs a quasi function in respect of legal issues.
“As such, the Lawyer Basic has to resolve whether or not or to not cost a suspect based mostly on the fabric obtainable and submitted to him by the investigating authority,” the BASL stated.
“In doing so, he can be required to think about whether or not such materials is admissible in legislation and whether or not based mostly on such materials, there exists an inexpensive prospect of a conviction.”
The sudden determination to discharge three suspects in certainly one of Sri Lanka’s most emblematic instances comes regardless of President Disanayake having urged the Lawyer Basic’s Division final month to revive public confidence within the judicial system.
“..we urge Your Excellency to make sure that there isn’t any unwarranted interference with the train of the powers of the Lawyer Basic and we belief Your Excellency will proceed to guard the independence of key establishments together with that the workplace of the Lawyer Basic which is important to guard the rule of legislation in our nation,” the BASL wrote.
PRIME MINISTER RESPONDS
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuria within the parliament on Friday responding to a letter written to her by slain Wickrematunga’s daughter stated the brand new authorities intends to hunt justice for the homicide of Wickrematunga.
She additionally assured that the federal government will do all the pieces to make sure justice is delivered and comply with the due course of whereas making certain the independence of the AG Division.
“However justice must be delivered. If essential, we are going to refile the case. There are sufficient proof,” the Prime Minister instructed the parliament.
In a letter to the CID, AG Ranasinghe in January ordered investigators to tell the Mount Lavinia Justice of the Peace of his determination to not proceed in opposition to the three key suspects within the related case and to report again inside two weeks.
A duplicate of the letter, which was additionally despatched on to the Justice of the Peace and two different recipients, was dated 27 January 2025 however has been extensively shared on the social media platform X this week.
Udalagama, a former navy intelligence officer, had been in remand custody over allegations of abducting Wickrematunge’s driver and threatening him with dying except he stopped implicating the Directorate of Army Intelligence (DMI) within the killing.
Wickrematunge’s driver had alleged that his employer was killed by a DMI unit, as beforehand reported to the courts by the Legal Investigation Division (CID) of the police.
Nanayakkara, then-DIG in command of the realm the place Wickrematunga was murdered, was arrested in 2018 and remanded in custody for suppressing very important proof within the homicide case earlier than being launched on bail.
Shortly earlier than he was killed, Wickrematunge, had famous down the registration numbers of bikes that have been following him on the morning of 8 January 2009. The assassins arrived on bikes.
Police scene-of-crime officers recorded their observations, however had been ordered the removing of their notes from the official police data.
Wickrematunge’s pocket book was handed over to DIG Nanayakkara, who then handed it on to the then-Inspector Basic of Police, Jayantha Wickramarathne, additionally a suspect within the cover-up.
Ultimately, the pocket book disappeared after the case was transferred to the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID).
Regardless of the police prime brass making concerted efforts to hide proof, junior cops had secretly made photocopies of Wickrematunge’s pocket book, in addition to their very own observations recorded within the Grave Crime Data E-book (GCIB).
These photocopies of the unique police entries within the GCIB, together with a replica of Wickrematunge’s pocket book, resurfaced on the CID nearly 9 years after the crime.(Colombo/February 07/2025)
