PCOI orders AG to halt investigations into former Navy Chief and Spokesperson

Tuesday, 28 January 2020 00:37 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Presidential Commission inquiring into incidents of alleged political victimisation has issued an order preventing the Permanent High Court at Bar from proceeding with the case filed against former Commander of the Navy Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda and former Navy Spokesperson Rear Admiral DKP Dassanayake.

The Presidential Commission has informed the Attorney General to halt the investigations into the cases filed against Karannagoda and Dassanayake until the Commission concludes their hearings.

Admiral Karannagoda and Rear Admiral Dassanayake are among 14 suspects charged with the abduction and disappearance of eleven youths in Colombo and its suburbs in 2008 and 2009 for ransom.

Issuing a communiqué, the Presidential Commission said it has given due attention to the complaint that the legal action has been filed against the officers based on political pressure.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed the three-member Presidential Commission earlier this month to look into alleged political victimisation of public servants during the period from 8 January 2015 to 16 November 2019.

The Presidential Commission is chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge Upali Abeyratne and comprises Retired Appeal Court Judge Daya Chandrasiri Jayatilleka and Retired IGP Chandra Fernando as members.

The first complaint received by the commission was the case filed against Wasantha Karannagoda and D.K.P. Dassanayake over the abduction and disappearance of 11 youth.

Wasantha Karannagoda and DKP Dassanayake lodged a complaint with the Commission on 22 January and the Commission inquired into the matter on the very next day.

Thereby the Presidential Commission ordered the Attorney General to halt the proceedings by the Attorney General’s Department over the legal proceedings filed against Wasantha Karannagoda and D.K.P. Dissanayake until the Commission concludes their inquiry and presents recommendations to the President.