SLPP throws doubt on investigations by former Govt.

Information and Communication Technology State Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena 

 Energy State Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena 

• Calls for revisiting process followed to arrest SLPP MPs
• Assures investigation conducted by Govt. will be impartial
• Rohitha claims alleged Ranjan and Shani telephone conversations create credibility issues regarding Duminda Silva’s case 

By Nuwan Senarathna

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) yesterday questioned motives behind investigations carried out by law enforcement authorities during the previous administration and called for them to be revisited, assuring the present Government will hold impartial probes.  

Speaking to media at the SLPP head office, Communication Technology State Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena charged many of investigations carried out during previous administration were based on political motives. 

Therefore they should be revisited to find out impartiality of procedures followed by law enforcement authorities he said pointing out that the procedures followed to arrest suspects in such investigations needs rethinking.

He stressed that an impartial review of the said investigations would be needed and relevant state entities should take measures to find out if there were any political motive behind the investigations.

“We will not interfere with investigations but there is a genuine concern over how investigation were carried out during previous administration. I request law enforcement authorities to revisit those investigations and clear our doubts,” he said.

Abeywardena said the behaviour of certain Police officers during previous regime raised concerns over arrests of SLPP lawmakers. He opined the inability of the Police to prove charges filed against some SLPP MPs who were arrested, points to the politics being the motive for the arrests.

“Most of charges filed against SLPP lawmakers were dismissed by the courts, which shows they were arrested without concrete evidence to prove charges filed against them. Such activities damage reputation of our MPs and some of them are irreversible, therefore only a revisiting those investigation will serve justice,” he added.

Meanwhile, State Energy Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena claimed telephone conversations had taken place between United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake and former Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Director SSP Shani Abeysekara over investigation of former advisory to the then President Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra’s murder.

“Several telephone conversation claiming to be between Ramanayake and Abeysekara took placed over the duration of the investigation of Duminda Silva are circulating on social media. According to those conversation, Ramanayake had influenced the CID Director over Silva’s investigations and that raise concerns over CID’s motives during the investigations,” he added.

Abeygunawardena requested law enforcement authorities conduct an investigation into the alleged telephone conversation to clarify whether such conversations were actually taken place or not. Based on voice recordings of alleged telephone conversation, Abeygunawardena also raised concerns over impartiality investigation carried out by previous administration.

“We hope law enforcement agencies will take necessary measures to investigate into alleged telephone conversation to find out whether there were any influence by politician on CID’s investigation,” he said.  

Pic by Lasantha Kumara