Yoshitha Rajapaksa, who served as a Lieutenant in the Sri Lanka Navy, has now been summoned to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption next Tuesday (16) for questioning over his participation in a Royal Navy training programme in the United Kingdom outside established procedures.

The Commission is expected to record statements in relation to several complaints received regarding his recruitment and subsequent service in the Navy after he enlisted on December 14, 2006.

According to sources, the investigation focuses on allegations concerning the educational qualifications considered at the time of his enlistment, as well as foreign training opportunities he is said to have received while in service, which are suspected to have been granted in violation of due process.

The Bribery Commission has launched the inquiry under the provisions of the Anti-Corruption Act, officials said.

Sri Lanka Communist Party has urged the NPP government to initiate a credible review of the PTA (Prevention of terrorism Act) and related practices that enable arbitrary detention and torture.CPSL General Secretary Dr. G. Weerasinghe issued the following statement regarding the arrest of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay:

The CPSL expresses its deep concern over the continued detention of former Intelligence Chief Major General (retd.) Suresh Sallay, who was arrested on 25 February and has now been held for 95 days under the PTA.

Maj. Gen. Sallay’s initial detention under the PTA was for 90 days, after which the Colombo Magistrate extended his period of custody. The CPSL notes that the PTA was specifically referenced in the 2024 manifesto of the ruling New People’s Power (NPP) — “A thriving nation, a beautiful life” – which promised the “abolition of all oppressive acts including the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and ensuring civil rights of people in all parts of the country.” The party calls attention to this commitment and urges that it be honoured in both letter and spirit.

 The CPSL is alarmed by reports from legal counsel and medical personnel alleging that Major General Sallay has suffered both physical injuries and severe psychological distress while in custody. President’s Counsel Shavindra Fernando informed the Court that the Judicial Medical Officer’s report diagnosed Maj. Gen. Sallay with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, and identified injuries at five locations on his body. The report, counsel says, indicates alleged torture.

Further, counsel and family members have raised serious complaints about inhumane treatment in detention. Mrs. Manori Sallay has filed a formal complaint with the Inspector General of Police alleging inadequate food, lack of basic sanitation and other inhumane conditions. Additional court submissions stated that Maj. Gen. Sallay was denied proper meals, and on one night was reportedly served rice with gravy on a piece of newspaper placed on the cell floor. By contrast, media reports indicate that some detainees have been permitted access to the CID canteen.

The CPSL acknowledges the necessity of lawful procedure in the investigation and prosecution of criminal and terrorism cases. At the same time, the party is compelled to note credible allegations that proper procedure has not been followed in this case. These lapses reinforce concerns that the arrest and continued detention may be politically motivated.

 Human rights organisations have long criticised the PTA as a draconian statute that facilitates prolonged arbitrary detention without trial and creates opportunities for torture and coerced confessions. The CPSL reiterates these concerns and underscores the contradiction between the NPP’s manifesto pledge to abolish oppressive legislation and the continued use of the PTA in this instance.

The Communist Party of Sri Lanka therefore calls on the Government and relevant authorities to:

Immediately ensure that Major General Suresh Sallay receives full medical care and protection from further mistreatment.

Make public the full medical report of the Judicial Medical Officer and permit independent medical examination by a qualified neutral body.

Adhere strictly to legal procedure in the investigation and prosecution of this matter, ensuring access to counsel, adequate food, sanitation, and humane detention conditions.

Provide transparent justification for any further extensions of detention under the PTA and allow timely judicial review in accordance with constitutional safeguards.

Honour the NPP manifesto pledge by initiating a credible review of the PTA and related practices that enable arbitrary detention and torture.

The CPSL stands for the rule of law, human dignity and civil rights. While recognising the state’s responsibility to investigate genuine security threats, the party will not remain silent where there are credible reports of abuse, procedural irregularity, and possible political motivation. The CPSL will monitor the case closely and urge civil society and human rights bodies to do the same.”

Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said that those who had been unsettled by the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage were propagating lies. Attorney-at-law Nanayakkara said that he was being targeted in an obvious bid to undermine the investigations.

The minister said so responding to The Island query whether he had represented National Thowheetth Jamaath (NTJ) terrorist Mohamed Hashim Mohamed Zahran alias Zahran Hashim who carried out the suicide bombing in Shangri-la. The minister’s response was sought in the wake of a social media post alleging a direct link between the NPP Minister and Zahran Hashim going viral.

Nanayakkara has been accused of taking Zahran Hashim from Colombo to Saithamaruthu in the East and subsequently suppressing the related documents. Minister Nanayakkara challenged the accusers to produce whatever evidence available to substantiate their claims or shut up till those who masterminded the 2019 attacks were brought before court of law.

Nanayakkara alleged that interested parties got really worked up recently over retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay’s arrest under the terms of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) because they realized the Rajapaksas could get exposed. The minister pointed out that though the CID arrested Sallay in late February there hadn’t been much noise about it but a major protest campaign got underway recently.

By Shamindra Ferdinando