Govt. to seek P’ment approval to implement recommendations of political victimisation commission

• Motion likely to be moved in House next week
• Cabinet approval to submit the final report of the CoI through parliamentary resolution granted in Jan.
• Final comm. report already referred by President to Special Presidential CoI for action 
• Former PM among those facing charges of violating Constitution, oath of office 
• Special CoI has power to impose civic disability on those found guilty

By Chandani Kirinde

The Government will submit a Motion to Parliament next week seeking the approval of the House for the implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) that looked into the alleged political victimisation of public officers, including members of the armed forces and Police, under the previous administration.

The Motion has been included in the Addendum to the Order Book of Parliament dated 9 April and is listed to be moved by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa next week.

Parliamentary approval is being sought to implement the decisions and recommendations made in the final report of the CoI, which was headed by retired Judge of the Supreme Court Upali Abeyratne, and has been referred by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to the Special CoI for action.

The Special Presidential CoI has the power to impose civic disability on those found guilty of abuse or misuse of power, political victimisation and related offences. Its members include Chairman Supreme Court Justice Dhammika Priyantha Jayawardena, Supreme Court Justice Kumudini Wickremasinghe and Judge of the Court of Appeal Rathnapriya Gurusinghe.

The Abeyratne Commission recommended action against 23 persons, including former Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Cabinet ministers and political party leaders, for violating the Constitution and acting contrary to their oath of office.

Those named in the report include former ministers Mangala Samaraweera, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Rauff Hakeem, Sarath Fonseka and Malik Samarawickrama, as well as JVP Leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake, TNA MPs R. Sampanthan and M.A. Sumanthiran and former MP Jayampathy Wickramaratne.

The Abeyratne Commission has called into question the murder conviction of former MP Duminda Silva and recommended the discontinuation of the two cases against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, as well as on going cases against Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga and Sri Lanka’s ex-Ambassador to Washington Jaliya Wickramasuriya.

It has also recommended the discontinuation of a case filed against former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda and Rear Admiral D.K.P. Dassanayake. It has however recommended an investigation by the Bribery Commission against the Former Navy Commander and Minister Udaya Gammanpila.

The Parliamentary Motion is also seeking approval to refer the decisions and recommendations made by the Abeyratne CoI to the relevant authorities, including the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, the Public Service Commission, the Inspector General of Police, the Minister-in-charge of the relevant ministries and the Secretaries to the ministries, for implementation.

The Motion also states that the Cabinet of Ministers had in January granted approval to the President’s proposal that the final report of the Presidential CoI be submitted through a resolution in Parliament.