Anti-corruption drive should not be aimed at silencing critics

The Ministry of Public Security has instructed the Police to complete the establishment of Public Safety Committees across the country by 20 June. A circular has been issued regarding the establishment of 14,022 Public Safety Committees, covering every Grama Niladhari division in the country.

This initiative aims to strengthen police-community relations, promote peace and security, combat crime and drug-related threats and to foster interfaith harmony with each committee consisting of a designated police officer, retired public servants, former police and military officers, and youth representatives.

While such initiatives are welcome, there are serious questions about national security of the country which neither the Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala nor his deputy Sunil Watagala has been able to answer convincingly.

Ananda Wijepala once headed the Anti-Corruption Committee Secretariat under the Yahapalanaya Government when the JVP had another of its brief flirtations with the Government in power. Hundreds of files were filled with documents of cases of corruption but the work was left half-done due to infighting within the Yahapalanaya Government. It’s these same files that President Anura Kumara Disanayake and some in his party have been displaying at various public forums with pledges to punish those against whom there are substantial charges of bribery and corruption.

Now Wijepala is the Minster and under his watch we have seen a serious breakdown in law and order, particularly a rise in gang violence, mostly drug related. The Minister told Parliament earlier this month that there have been 79 shooting incidents over the past seven months, with 52 deaths. Police have arrested 260 people in connection with the voice.

How serious the Government takes gang violence is questionable. A man arrested for a fatal shooting in the Mount Lavinia area a couple of months ago was released on bail only to have him go and open fire soon after. How a man charged with murder was allowed bail and why neither the Attorney General’s Department nor the Police objected to this in court needs to be verified.Wijepala also said in parliament that many of those arrested have links to politicians from previous Governments and that investigations are going on to expose such links. It’s no secret that the so called underworld gang have prospered under political patronage but now they operate on their own with many of the gang leaders operating from overseas. It’s come to a situation that politicians too have become pawns in their hands. While all connections between these gangs, public representatives, police and other influential sections in society need to be investigated, the Government needs to do more than come up with allegations against political opponents to take the heat off the Government.

Going by some of the remarks coming from within the Government, mainly that of branding all politician opponents as rogues and thieves, it seems to be aimed more at keeping voices that speak out against the Government silent. There have been allegations that those in high places in Government are picking who should be arrested next which is a worrying trend. Soon after taking off, the Deputy Public Security Minister Watagala said that a man who pretended to be close to him had gone to the Immigration Department and got 17 passports issued in his name. He lodged a complaint with the CID but we are yet to know what happened to the investigation. It would be good if Watagala apprised parliament on how such a fraud took place and what happened to the so-called imposter and if he was arrested or if he had disappeared someplace.

While welcoming the Government crackdown on corruption, the public need to be watchful that it is not used as an instrument to settle political scores and pull down those who politically oppose the Government. Hence the need for both the public and the media to be vigilant when a Government tries to arm twist political opponents in a way to silence them.