Govt. to tackle deaths in police, judicial custody - Justice Minister
By Shamindra Ferdinando-January 25, 2015
Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC, yesterday called for tangible measures to guarantee the safety and security of those in police/judicial custody.
Minister Rajapakshe said that the new government was determined to prevent deaths of suspects and convicts in custody.
The PC was responding to a query by The Island whether he would discuss with the police ways and means to ensure those in custody didn’t die in controversial circumstances, while being taken to various locations purportedly in connection with investigations.
The minister said that he would take it up with Public Security, Christian Religious Affairs and Disaster Management Minister John Amaratunga.
Minister Rajapakshe said that deaths in custody whatever the reasons and circumstances might bring the country under international scrutiny.
Civil society organisations, too, would be involved in a process meant to safeguard the interests of those in custody, the minister said, adding that the country couldn’t turn a blind eye to what was going on. "The bottom line is that a death in custody is not acceptable. Therefore, the new government will work rapidly towards having a mechanism to prevent any untoward incident."
Responding to another query, the Minister said that the previous government hadn’t investigated any of those cases though the then Opposition, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), civil society organizations as well as some members of the international community expressed their concern.
The minister pointed out that suspects in many high profile cases had died in mysterious circumstances over the past several years.
Minister Rajapakshe said that the circumstances under which the then government quelled a riot at Welikada prison during the second week of November, 2012, too, would be investigated, though that couldn’t be compared with individual cases of deaths in police custody.
The PC alleged that a three-member committee that inquired into Welikada riot had pathetically failed in its duty. The Welikada riot claimed the lives of 27 prisoners while 20 received injuries. Several police commandos including its former chief, DIG Ranawana, received injuries.
Asked whether he was seeking a fresh inquiry, Minister Rajapakshe said that the probe conducted by the previous government was not acceptable. As the investigation conducted by retired Supreme Court judge Bandula Atapattu (Chairman of the Committee), retired DIG, who is also an attorney-at-law Gunasena Thenabadu and senior lawyer Lalitha P. Andrahennadi attached to the then ministry of Rehabilitation and Prisons Reforms hadn’t been satisfactory, a new three-member team would undertake a comprehensive inquiry. The team comprises retired Supreme Court judge Wimal Nambuwasam (Chairman), retired DIG Asoka Wijetilleke and retired administrative official attorney-at-law S.K. Liyanage.
Outgoing President of the BASL Upul Jayasuriya told The Island that action should be taken to ensure safety and security of those in custody. The issue had been raised on many occasions and it would be the responsibility of the new government to inquire into past incidents and take adequate measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
