Addl. solicitor general supersedes attorney general!

 Wednesday, 16 October 2013 16:39

In total disregard to a conclusion by the attorney general that the case pertaining to the murder of British tourist Khurram Shaikh and the gang rape of his female companion at a tourist hotel at Medilla in Tangalle on 24th December 2011 should be heard before a trial-at-bar, additional solicitor general Suhada Gampath has changed the decision, saying such a move will inconvenience the president and the Rajapaksa family, Attorney General’s Department sources say.

The attorney general has made his decision in an effort to use the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo as an opportunity to build goodwill with British leaders and to minimize the international disgrace Sri Lanka is being subjected to over the Tangalle incident. After taking the decision, the attorney general was preparing to send the relevant documents to the chief justice, when the additional solicitor general had informed the president and the defence secretary about the impending move.

It is the chief justice who appoints members to a trial-at-bar when the case is of crucial importance to the country. Previously, cases relating to the white flag incident, rape and murder of Krishanthi Coomaraswamy, airplane hijacking by Sepala Ekanayake etc. were all heard by trials-at-bar.

The controversial nature of the Khurram Shaikh murder case, in which the six accused include chairman of Tangalle Pradeshiya Sabha chairman Sampath Chandrapushpa Vidanapathirana, prompted the transfer of the case from the Tangalle magistrate’s court to the Colombo chief magistrate’s court.  The transfer of the case came as it was clear the accused would influence the legal procedure relating to the case if it was heard by a court in their area of political authority.

As the matters stand thus, the case will be called tomorrow (17) by the Tangalle high court to serve the accused with indictments. Officials of the Attorney General’s Department, who are unprejudiced, are strongly critical of additional solicitor general Suhada Gamlath’s using of the case as a chance to show his loyalty to the Rajapaksa family, although the attorney general is working according to the accepted norms of hearing a case of this nature which has attracted international attention, add the sources.