The Law Continues To Crawl In Weerawansa Saga

by Nirmala Kannangara-Saturday, February 20, 2016

Weerawansa and wife Shashi Weerawansa… ‘Some are more equal than others’?

The saying ‘all are equal but some are more equal than others’ appears to be a reality today when considering the alleged passport frauds of MP Wimal Weerawansa and his wife Shashi Weerawansa.

The husband and wife duo are accused of using fraudulent travel documents, but questions have

been raised as to why the law enforcement authorities have not taken swift action against these two law-breakers and brought them to book. Would this inaction apply to ordinary citizens of this country as well?

According to Assistant Controller (Legal), Department of Immigration and Emigration, Lakshan de Soyza, using an inactive passport to travel overseas is an offence but the department does not usually take action against the passport holder as such cases are considered oversights. However De Soyza said obtaining a passport by producing forged documents is an offence and those guilty of this would face imprisonment of not less than two years and not more than five years. “In case of an attempt to travel abroad with an inactive passport, we ask the passport holder to bring the legal travel document. But if a person continues to do so, he or she will be dealt with severely,” De Soyza said.

Wimal Weerawansa was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in October last year for using an inactive travel document (passport) to leave the country. He was later given bail by the Additional Magistrate, Negombo.

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