• EC acts on complaint by ACMC leader that regular summons to CID disrupting his election campaign
• Commission says in interest of free and fair election, request made to defer inquiries

The Election Commission has written to Acting IGP C.D. Wickramaratne to defer further inquiries against former MP Rishad Bathiudeen in connection with the Easter Sunday attacks till the conclusion of the Parliamentary Election.

MP Rishad Bathiudeen

The letter signed by the three members of the EC was sent to the Acting IGP after they considered a complaint by Bathiudeen that his election campaign is being disrupted as he is repeatedly asked to come to the CID headquarters in connection with the Easter Sunday attacks.

The EC said that Bathiudeen’s complaint is that he has already given evidence before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on matters related to the 21 April events and that the investigation carried out by the PSC did not reveal any connection between him and the attack or any terrorist activities.

However, one-and-a-half years after the attacks, he is being repeatedly asked to come to the CID headquarters and this is disrupting his election campaign.

“Mr. Bathiudeen is the leader of a major political party (All Ceylon Makkal Congress) with more than 30 candidates contesting in several districts spread all over the island (which role requires him to travel extensively in his period). Any obstacle placed in his way by asking him to present himself at Police headquarters will distort our democratic traditions and freedoms. Each visit to Colombo takes at least three days of his campaign,” the EC said.

The Commission said having considered his complaint carefully, it decided, unanimously , in the interest of the conduct of a free and fair election, to ask the Acting IGP to defer further inquiries into the matter until the election is over – until around 10 August.The EC said it will be writing to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as well the Attorney General informing them of the decision.

The letter to the Acting IGP added that the EC has on previous occasions too made requests to defer inquiries in similar circumstances and these requests were respected by the Police.

The EC also extended its gratitude to the Police for its cooperation.

Court orders Rishad Bathiudeen to appear before CID