By Shamindra Ferdinando

Prof. G.L. Peiris, MP, yesterday (06) faulted the Attorney General’s Department (AGD) for the prosecution of illegally arrested Inter University Student Federation (IUSF) Convener, Wasantha Mudalige.

Referring to the judgment given by Fort Chief Magistrate, Prasanna Alwis, on Feb. 01, in respect of a high profile case filed in terms of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), the former External Affairs Minister told the regular weekly media briefing, held at the SLPP rebels’ Nawala office, that the police were found fault with for fabricating lies in a bid to implicate the student leader.

The AGD couldn’t absolve himself of the responsibility as prosecution was done under its supervision.

The former Law Professor declared that the dismissal of the case against Mudalige was not only an indictment of those law enforcement officers who bent backwards to appease the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa administration, but once respected AGD, as well.

Commenting on a detailed statement made by Mudalige, after the Fort Magistrate cleared him of perpetrating offences categorised under the PTA, Prof. Peiris said that law enforcement authorities owed an explanation why Mudalige was blindfolded and taken to an isolated place during the interrogation.

The retired top law academic called for a comprehensive inquiry into the police-AGD nexus in a bid to implicate the student leader on terror charges. Mudalige played a significant role in the breakaway JVP faction, the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) campaign in support of ‘Aragalaya’ that forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and give up his presidency.

Prof. Peiris said that the police and AGD couldn’t have been exposed at a worse time than this. An international group of experts recently released a report on human rights violations, the former minister said, adding that the Fort Magistrate’s landmark judgment underscored the pathetic state of affairs.

The National List MP addressed several other issues, including the inordinate delay on the part of Sri Lanka to conclude negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure the much-touted USD 2.9 bn loan facility. Referring to his recent meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Minister, A.K. Abdul Momen, in Colombo, Prof. Peiris said that Dhaka was able to conclude complex negotiations, with the IMF, within two months, whereas Sri Lanka, in spite of entering into a Staff-Level agreement, on Sept. 01, 2022, was yet to receive the first tranche of the promised loan.

Bangladesh had the capacity to secure a USD 4 bn loan facility, whereas Sri Lanka was still struggling to make progress, the Opposition MP said.

The National List MP added that two State Finance Ministers, Shehan Semasinghe and Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, had repeatedly promised that the IMF facility would be available soon. However, it hadn’t been the case, the former minister said, urging the government to come clean on the issue at hand.

Prof. Peiris said that the electorate would teach the government an unforgettable lesson at the forthcoming Local Government polls. The SLPP rebel said that having failed in its efforts to put off the poll, scheduled for March 09, the government would suffer a heavy defeat.

The former minister flayed the government for what he called unacceptable tax policy that prompted large groups of professionals to leave the country. “Professionals are strongly opposed to the new tax formula as the government targeted them while allowing waste and corruption to continue,” Prof. Peiris said, adding that the hapless public didn’t approve squandering of public funds on an Independence Day parade at a time the national economy is in tatters.

The former minister said that wasting public funds on such an extravaganza was nothing but a crime. “Within 24 hours after the ‘boru’ show, the state gas supplier increased the price of gas. That is the reality. A few days ago, a litre of petrol was raised by Rs 30.”