Political victimisation PCoI report not President’s private property, JVP leader says, demanding its immediate release

By Saman Indrajith

The JVP yesterday called on the government to release the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Political Victimization immediately.

Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said: “The PCoI report on political victimization is not family property of the President to keep it to himself. We have asked the government umpteen times to make it public. I made many requests at the party leaders’ meeting and Parliament sessions to that effect. We have made requests to the Speaker. Under the provisions of the Right to Information Act we made a request to the Presidential Secretariat on Jan 21. The Information Officer of the Presidential Secretariat on Feb 08 informed us that the report could not be made available. Thereafter, we made an appeal for the purpose on Feb 22. My legal counsel too made a request on Jan 29. On Feb 12 our Attorney-at- Law Sunil Watagala made another request but so far no response.

“The report contains information about cases of corruption and malpractices that took place prior to 2015. People have a right to know the report’s contents. Further, it contains information about cases of killings and abductions and massive frauds. Therefore we demand that the report be immediately made available to the public.”

The JVP leader alleged that soon after the incumbent government had come to power a PCoI was appointed under the Chairmanship of retired Supreme Court Justice Upali Abeyratne to inquire into the incidents of political victimisation. “The commission was in operation from Jan 2020 to Nov 26, 2020 and handed over its report to the President on Dec 08, 2020. Thereafter, an addendum containing 48 more pages was handed over to the President. On Jan 15 ,President Gotabaya Rajapaksa obtained Cabinet approval for directing the Attorney General to withdraw certain number of cases mentioned in the PCoI report. Among these cases are the one against Udayanga Weeratunga, who is the main accused of the infamous MiG aircraft deal, one against Udaya Gammanpila charged for defrauding an Australian businessman in a private transaction, case against Basil Rajapaksa and Thiru Nadesan about Malwana luxury house, case against Yoshita Rajapaksa as regards funds for CSN channel, case against Jaliya Wickremasuriya’s alleged purchasing of a building for the Sri Lanka’s Embassy in the US, case against Nalaka Godahewa giving funds of Securities and Exchange Commission to the Tharunyata Hetak movement, the case regarding killing and abduction of 11 youth for extortion of money, case against Pillayan on killing of Joseph Pararajasingham, the MP Raviraj murder case, case on Lasantha Wickramatunga assassination, cases on abducting and assaulting journalists Keith Noyahr, Upali Tennakoon, Poddala Jayantha and others, cases against misappropriation of public funds, Avant Garde case etc. This is nothing but trying to save fraudsters, corrupt officials and murderers using victimisation as an excuse to release them from a number of court cases.

“People have a right to know and the government should not hide the PCoI report made by the commission using public funds. The report should be made public immediately,” Dissanayake said.