‘AG, IGP should be sent home if the corrupt are to be punished honestly’

Oct 08, 2015

Activists who shouldered the task of bringing the ‘Yaha Paalana’ government to power say the immediate removal of the attorney general and the IGP is the first precondition the government should fulfill if it has an honest desire to punish the corrupt of the previous Rajapaks regime.

Explaining, a social activist told ‘Lanka News Web’ that the AG and the IGP were intentionally protecting the corrupt.

He pointed out that it was AG Yuvanjan Wijetilake who thwarted the FCID move to remand former president’s secretary Lalith Weeratunga and ex-DG of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission Anusha Pelpita over the accusation of misuse of public property through a distribution of ‘Sil’ material during the presidential election campaign of Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The FCID was to produce the two before the magistrate’s court today and remanded, but the AG produced them yesterday before the magistrate’s court and released them on lenient bail conditions in a clear act of conspiracy, the civil society activists stress. The AG also abused his office and powers by producing the accused before courts and ensured bail for them, a day before the FCID was to file charges and obtain an arrest warrant, they point out.

Also, AG has intentionally abused his office by delaying legal action against persons like Tiran Alles and Sarath Abrew, they say.

N.K. Illangakoon, who remains as the IGP for more than four years now, has tarnished the dignity of his position on several occasions, according to them. He, together with the AG, had swept under the carpet the complaint by foreign affairs minister Mangala Samaraweera about a conspiracy attempt. Therefore, as long as these two remain in office, it will only be a daydream to punish the corrupt, civil society activists point out, demanding that both should be sent home immediately.