News
SJB: Prosecution without sufficient evidence should be stopped immediately
The SJB says that the President setting up of task forces saying one country, one law is akin to appointing a parallel government while the Ministry of Justice is taking action to minimize delays in litigations by expanding the judicial benches and digitalizing court processes.
Participating in the third reading debate on Budget 2022 under the expenditure heads of the Ministry of Justice SJB MP Eran Wickremaratne on Thursday said as per the constitutional provisions, the functions of the ministries should be carried out by the Cabinet of Ministers.
“We learned through the media that the Minister of Justice had resigned in protest against the appointment of a task force, ‘One Country One Law’ and the appointment of an unsuitable person for such task force which was uncalled for, it appears that a parallel government structure is being evolved.”
According to a report obtained from the Ministry of Justice, the number of court cases has increased from 775,617 in 2018 to 920,660 by 2020. Accordingly, it is observed that the number of cases in the courts of this country are increasing by about 10% annually, the MP said.
He said that the Attorney General’s Department has multiple roles and responsibilities. As one contradicts the other it is an obstacle to the independence and impartiality of that institution. The Attorney General is, on the one hand, is the Chief lawyer of the government and government departments, and on the other hand is the chief prosecutor. Accordingly, in his multiple roles the conflicts of interest are inevitable. The Attorney General himself appears in the Supreme Court, representing the Government on the constitutionality of the bills brought by the Government. It is the Attorney General who advises the government on the matters presenting to Parliament. Therefore, due to the multiple-role of the Attorney General’s Department, there is a huge potential for the AG’s department to become politicized. Under this backdrop, the MP stressed that Parliament has a responsibility to introduce a system that preserves the dignity of the Attorney General’s Department.
If the Attorney General’s Department continues to function in accordance with the current tasks assigned to it, it may lose its trust among the people. Therefore, the role of the AG as the Chief Prosecutor should be considered. The Attorney General recently withdrew a large number of cases of dozens of politicians. It was up to the courts to decide whether these people were guilty or not. Prosecuting politicians and later withdrawing them is something that does not happen with this frequency in other countries. This tarnishes the dignity of Parliament.
Therefore, if there is insufficient evidence in a case, the Attorney General’s Department should not rush to prosecute. The Attorney General who filed the case initially, following the change of a government goes to court and withdraw the case saying there was no evidence or on a technical basis is detrimental to the dignity of Parliament, the judiciary, the professionals and the country. Therefore, Wickremaratne urged the Minister of Justice to bring reforms regarding the responsibilities and roles of the Attorney General’s Department along with the legal reforms currently being carried out by the Ministry of Justice.
Hijaz Hezbollah, an Attorney-at-Law, has been detained for over 600 days under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Azath Salley was detained under the PTA without evidence for about nine months. Anaf Jazeem a teacher and a poet has been detained for 18 months. The Solicitor General told the Court that there was no objection to the grant of bail for Jazeem. These arrests and detentions are being made at the behest of the authorities without sufficient evidence, to intimidate, to silence and harass opponents.
Wickremaratne called on the Minister of Justice to focus his attention on amending the PTA which was originally brought as temporary measure which is used to keep in custody innocent people over long periods of time.
The warning mentioned in the flood warning message No. 01 issued for the Aththanagalu Oya basin on 22.05.2026 at about 5.30 am will be extended for the next 48 hours.
It is requested that residents in the area and vehicle drivers running through those areas pay high attention in this regard by the . Disaster Management Authorities are requested to take adequate precautions in this regard
Heavy and persistent rains lashed several parts of Sri Lanka yesterday, triggering flooding, transport disruptions, flight diversions and multiple disaster warnings as water levels rose in key river basins and low-lying urban areas.
The worst affected situation was reported along the Colombo–Avissawella main road, where floodwaters submerged sections of the highway, bringing vehicular movement to a standstill at several points, including the Puwakpitiya-Thummodara junction, the Seethawaka Botanical Garden area, and parts of Yatiyantota. Traffic was also severely disrupted along the Delgoda–Belumahara road at Udupila, and the Gampaha–Miriswatta road, due to inundation, while movement on the Divulapitiya–Mirigama route was restricted for light vehicles, following flooding at Ullalapitiya.
In the Kelani River Valley, rising water levels, following heavy rainfall in the catchment areas, prompted warnings of possible minor flooding within the next 48 hours. The Irrigation Department cautioned that areas, including Hanwella, Seethawaka, Dompe, Padukka, Homagama, Biyagama, Kaduwela, Kolonnawa, Kelaniya, Wattala and Colombo, could be affected. The flood alert, issued at 10:00 am yesterday, remains valid for 48 hours, until Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) issued landslide warnings covering six districts—Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura. Red alerts were issued for Dehiowita, in Kegalle and Ratnapura, while amber and yellow warnings were declared for several vulnerable divisions, including Seethawaka, Padukka, Attanagalla, Ingiriya, Bulathsinhala, Ruwanwella, Kuruwita, Ayagama, Pelmadulla, Yatiyantota, Ambagamuwa, Eheliyagoda, Nivithigala and Kalawana.
In the civil aviation sector, poor visibility and heavy rain around Katunayake forced the diversion of around six inbound flights, bound for Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, as a precautionary measure.
The Department of Meteorology reported that the highest rainfall recorded was 336.5 mm in Pambegama, Kegalle, between Thursday morning and Friday morning, underscoring the intensity of the ongoing weather system.
Authorities have urged the public, in affected districts, to remain vigilant, avoid flood-prone roads, and adhere to disaster warnings as adverse weather conditions are expected to persist.
by Norman Palihawadane and Chaminda Silva
Twenty-one alleged underworld operatives, deported from Dubai, were taken into custody by the CID, upon their arrival at the Mattala International Airport yesterday, Police said.
The suspects, including alleged organised crime figures, known as “Mahawatta Chamara” and “Kudu Duminda,” were arrested within the airport premises, shortly after disembarking from several inbound flights that had been diverted to Mattala, due to adverse weather conditions affecting operations at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), in Katunayake.
Police said the group had been residing overseas for an extended period while allegedly continuing to direct organised criminal activities and narcotics trafficking operations in Sri Lanka.
According to law enforcement authorities, the deportees were among a group of wanted criminal suspects linked to underworld networks and ongoing investigations into organised crime activities.
Senior Police officials stated that “Mahawatta Chamara” is expected to be handed over to the Central Crime Investigation Bureau for further investigations, while inquiries into the activities and alleged criminal links of the remaining suspects are also continuing.
Police sources said the deportees arrived in the country during the early hours of yesterday after flights originating from Dubai were rerouted to the Mattala Airport.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the specific charges pending against the suspects, but investigators believe several of them maintained operational ties to criminal syndicates involved in drug trafficking and other organised crimes, despite being based overseas.
The CID has commenced extensive investigations to determine the extent of the suspects’ alleged involvement in underworld activities and their connections to ongoing criminal operations in the country.
by Norman Palihawadane
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