(Lanka-e-news- 13.Sep.2015, 10.30PM) The Attorney general (AG) and the AG’s department are integral parts of a country’s legal apparatus. Both function smoothly, duly and effectively only if the AG and his department discharge their duties impartially, honorably and efficiently without prejudice, ulterior or sycophantic motives.
Unfortunately in SL, apparently the AG and his department have not been able to live up to the expectations of the law abiding citizens of the country by not perfrorming their duties on the lines mentioned in the foregoning paragraph. Consequently the people who are pro government of good governance are enraged and embittered over the official conduct of the AG and his department.
The last incident of the series deserving of bitter condemnation is that revolving around the serious criminal offence committed by Sashi Weerawansa , the wife of ex minister Wimal Weerawansa.
While there is copious and concrete evidence that Sashi Weerawansa has furnished bogus information and obtained a forged diplomatic passport , and the CID had furnished all the relevant information to the AG’s department and sought the department’s advice, the AG’s department however has still not responded to the CID request , which is tantamount to aiding and abetting fraudulent Sashi Weerawansa , the forger out and out.
Believe it or not , the CID sought AG’s advice as far back as 6 th February to take action against the accused Sashi Weerasinghe. The AG ‘s department however has remained mum for 7 long months. This procrastination at the AG’s department came to light only when the CID submitted its report to the court.
This is just one of the many such instances where the AG’s department had not carried out its duties duly.
During the last few weeks alone many such derelictions of duty on the part of the AG’s department were exposed. One such grave blunder was , when the AG’s department revealed in court that there is no evidence to legally take action against Kumaran Pathmanathan alias K.P. who officially took over duties as LTTE leader after the death of Prabhakaran.
If there are truly no charges against K.P. as alleged by the AG’s department, why was K.P. brought back from Malaysia to SL? Is it to keep him in Kilinochchi and provide him with all the luxurious comforts with military security?
It was K.P. who told the media when he was interviewed after his return to SL ,that during the final phase of the war, Prabhakaran wanted a ship load of weapons , but since his connections had gone awry , he could not comply with the request on time ..
If legal action is to be instituted against K.P., this statement made by him while he was in Sri Lanka army custody alone is adequate. He had thereby admitted that earlier on he owned ships with full loads of weapons. Hence only the traitors in the AG’s department would say , they do not know K.P.
Another incident that provoked the people against the AG’s department was when it lately demonstrated it is more a foe of the country and a friend of lawlessness . That is , when the AG gave instructions to the court that there are no grounds to prosecute Gotabaya who is incriminated clearly in the illegal leasing of weapons belonging to the government to a private Co. It was very evident the AG’s department by giving those instructions to the court was aiming at whitewashing Gotabaya.
Meanwhile , the convener of joint civil and trade union organizations , Saman Ratnapriya addressing a media briefing revealed , he has a report of an additional solicitor general of the AG’s department in which he has said , action can be filed against Gotabaya . In that case, who went out of the way to whitewash Gotabaya ?
The worst part ? Are the relief granted via illegal instructions given by the AG in regard to K.P. and Gotabaya Rajapakse going to be extended to passport fraud and forger Sashi Weerasinghe too ? The people who are pro government of good governance are watching intently and with fury what is going to be the reaction of AG pertaining to Sashi . If the chiefs of the AG’s department are acting this illegally at the instigation of some powerful political bigwig , it will be in their own best interests and the country to reveal the truth without concealing .
Of course the incumbent president and the P.M. have made solemn promises from the very outset they will never exert unlawful pressures . Unlike with the previous regime people have faith in both of them . Yet the people are still prone to conclude based on their past experiences under the previous regime that either the president or P.M. is exerting influence. In the circumstances , it is best if the truth is revealed to the people to dispel their suspicions and doubts. On the other hand if they are concealed , the people’s wrath and anger cannot be averted.
No matter what , the AG and the AG’s department are bound to act neutrally , honorably and responsibly as they are an intimate and integral part of the judicial apparatus of the country . If they put a spoke in the wheel of justice and judicial processes , the outside pressures exerted on them notwithstanding, sooner than later they will be unable to walk on the road, not only with their black coats on ,but even with their bottom bells (bell bottoms are now not in vogue) on.
If these back coated sharks have even a little grey matter , they should understand the aspirations and hopes of the people who successfully brought about the political upheaval on 8 th January ,as well as the aims and objectives of people’s victory at the general elections on 17 th August.
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by (2015-09-13 20:18:25)
- Sep 12, 2015
