NPC asks for probe on exposure of key suspect

Tirantha Walaliyadda, PC, has urged the government to implement the death penalty without further delay in line with a fresh overall strategy to tackle organised crime.

Appearing on Aluth Parlimenthuwa on Wednesday (17) night, Walaliyadda, who had appeared for some of the notorious members of the netherworld said that the organised crime couldn’t be dealt with successfully unless the government resumed judicial executions.

Appearing on a programme that discussed post-war deterioration of law and order situation, Walaliyadda said that those engaged in narcotics trade and users should be harshly dealt with.

The lawyer questioned the rehabilitation of drug addicts at the taxpayers’ expense as such measures wouldn’t help to address the issues at hand.

Anchored by lawyer Sanka Amarjith, the participants in the programme were DIG Nihal Thalduwa (police spokesman and crime range), DIG Deepthi Hettiarachchi (Deputy Commandant STF), senior lecturer Udaya Kumara Amarasinghe and journalist Shamindra Ferdinando of The Island.

The focus was on the high profile killing of Surendra Wasantha Perera alias Club Wasantha at a tattoo and piercing studio near the Clock Tower in Athurugiriya on the morning of July 8. Another person identified as Nayana Wasula Wijesuriya was also killed. Among the wounded were songstress K. Sujeewa and Wasantha’s wife Menik Wijewardena.

Responding to a query raised by Amarjith, DIG Thalduwa said that the police weren’t in a position to either confirm or deny claims that the two gunmen who carried out the attack had managed to flee the country. Amarjith pointed out that the main gunman of the Beliatta killings in January this year had fled the country. The police spokesman said that having identified those who had been involved in the Beliatta shooting, the police were about to swoop down on the main gunman, when telecast of CCTV footage of the Beliatta shooting alerted the wanted man.

Amarjith pointed out that among the five dead at Beliatta was Saman Perera, the leader of Ape Jana Bala party represented in parliament by Ven. Athureliye Rathana thera.

The interviewer asked the police spokesman to explain the releasing of video footage of a key suspect in Athurugiriya shooting Dulan Sanjula, owner of a tattoo and piercing shop being questioned as it jeopardised the entire investigation. Sanjula was among seven persons arrested and remanded till July 22 pending investigations.

DIG Thalduwa said that IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon received a directive from the National Police Commission (NPC) to inquire into the incident. The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the department was in the process of investigating the incident on the instructions of the IGP, Thalduwa, who is also an Attorney-at-Law said. The official admitted that disciplinary action would be taken in this regard.

Walaliyadda emphasised that the releasing of that video footage had caused immense harm to the ongoing investigation. In terms of the British law, such would be considered contempt of court and will be appropriately dealt with.

Walaliyadda declined to name some of his notorious clients. When Amarjith pointed out that some lawyers went beyond their mandate to appease the underworld, the President’s Counsel said that once he refused to take a drug dealer in his car to the Hambantota court. Walaliyadda said that he also declined to allow the drug dealer to travel with one of his juniors and that brought an end to his contact with the party concerned.

In spite of declining to name five of his clients earlier, Walaliyadda later said that he never regretted representing Kanjipani Imran, Soththi Upali, Dhammika Amarasinghe, Chintaka Amarasinghe and M. Naufer. Walaliyadda compared the responsibilities of lawyers appearing for alleged criminals and police responsible for deaths of the underworld members. The lawyer asserted that both they and the police never regretted what they did ‘in the line of duty.’

Kanjipani Imran living overseas is widely believed to be involved in planning the Athurugiriya hit. Walaliyadda said that of the five clients he mentioned, three died in the hands of the underworld, Naufer, who had been found guilty of ordering the assassination of Colombo High Court judge Sarath Ambepitiya on Nov. 19, 2004, died in prison while Kanjipani remains at large.

Walaliyadda urged that the executive exercise his authority to sign death warrants. Judicial executions are a must to ensure the restoration of the supremacy of law. The lawyer stressed that the lives of children couldn’t be protected unless those in political authority took harsh measures to overcome the daunting challenges posed by organised crime. Unfortunately, the rights of the criminals received far more attention than the vulnerable communities, Walaliyadda said.

During the discussion, the need to examine whether the releasing of the video footage of Dulan Sanjula had been deliberate on the part of law enforcement authorities was stressed as they knew their actions could jeopardise the judicial process. The responsibility on the part of investigators and higher authorities to examine extremely serious allegations made by ex-SLAF officer and private investigator Keerthi Ratnayake, in two interview with Chamuditha Samarawickrema, on social media pertaining to the Aturugiriya killings was pointed out.

Against the backdrop of efforts to downplay the worsening of law and order situation, it was pointed out that there were many high profile killings such as The Sunday leader editor Lasantha Wickrematunga’s assassination, killing of ruggerite Wasim Thajudin as well as Dinesh Shafter’s murder remained unsolved.

The failure on the part of law enforcement authorities to address security issues was examined taking into consideration the nexus between organised crime and major political parties while DIG Thalduwa explained the difficulties experienced by them and the urgent need to strengthen relevant laws. Thalduwa also emphasised the need to modernise and strengthen laws meant to tackle large scale financial crimes as he lucidly explained the challenge in working with foreign law enforcement counterparts in current geopolitical developments. Lawyer Thalduwa said that even the current financial difficulties, too, mattered as issues at hand were addressed.

When a panelist pointed out that successive governments assured the international community that judicial executions wouldn’t be resumed, Walaliyadda insisted that in spite of such promises the death penalty remained in our statutes and the President exercised the right to hang those found guilty by the Supreme Court (SF)