News
JVP lawyers to move CA against PCoI report
By Saman Indrajith
The JVP-led Lawyers for Democracy is planning to move the Court of Appeal against the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Political Victimisation as they claim the release of the document is tantamount to contempt of court.
Addressing the media at Solis Hall in Pitakotte yesterday former JVP Provincial Councilor Attorney-at-law Sunil Watagala said that the commission report has recommended the release of 61 persons whose cases were being heard before High Courts. “It is a known fact that matters pending before courts are sub judice and cannot be adjudicated elsewhere as the cases are in progress. The commission has done that. Along with those 61 cases, the commission report recommends the release of accused of several other cases. The commission report recommends the release of accused in 79 cases. This shows that the commission has overstepped its mandate. We are planning to challenge the commission report in the court of appeal.”
Watagala said that the President had appointed another commission to recommend that Parliament be vested with powers to implement the report of Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Political Victimization. “There were instances of hurling stones at the houses of the judges who had judgments not to the liking of government politicians. A Chief Justice was removed as she did not give in to political pressure. A former chief justice made a public apology for a judgment he had once given. It is our belief that this commission has caused an affront to the dignity of judiciary.”
Former commissioner of the Human Rights Commission senior lawyer Ghazali Hussain said: “In a case there are two parties – there is a victim and a suspect. The commission report recommends punitive actions against the victims of the cases pending before courts. This is a serious matter connected to democracy of our society. We must uphold the independence of judiciary. Judicial system should not be permitted to be influenced by the needs of political authority. As concerned citizens it is our duty to stand against this unjust act motivated by partisan politics.”
Senior Lawyer Upul Kumarapperuma said: “There is a fundamental principle in judicial matters known as natural justice. As per that principle, one cannot be the judge of his own case and both parties of a case should be listened to before any decisions. That principle is not upheld in this matter. The second requirement of the natural justice that is to listening to both parties is not maintained in the commission report. This is one sided opinion. That is the biggest weakness of this commission report.”
Attorneys-at-law Harshana Nanayakkara, Manjula Balasuriya, Akalanka Udawatte and Charith Galhena also addressed the press.
Text and Pic by Priyan de Silva
Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) Ranga Dissanayake has questioned whether some promises contained in the National People’s Power (NPP) manifesto, A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life, could be fulfilled even if the government wanted to implement them.
Dissanayake raised the issue during a discussion following the release of the third biannual report on manifesto monitoring by the March 12 Movement, at the BMICH, on Wednesday.
He questioned whether the report had taken into account legal and institutional constraints affecting the implementation of certain pledges.
Citing the proposal to establish Anti-Corruption Investigation Offices in each district, Dissanayake said such offices could be established only with the agreement of CIABOC and that amendments to the Anti-Corruption Act would be necessary.
He also referred to the pledge to abolish the Executive Presidency, noting that successive governments had made similar commitments since 1994. He questioned whether there had been adequate consideration of where the powers vested in the Executive President would be transferred if the system were abolished.
On the proposal to establish a Public Prosecutor, Dissanayake questioned whether the Government intended to maintain the office alongside the Attorney General, who currently performs prosecution-related functions.
Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES) Manjula Gajanayake said Dissanayake’s remarks should be regarded as his personal views and not as Government policy.
Monitoring and Evaluation Consultants M. Thilakarajah and D.D. Mataharaarachchi presented the third-phase findings, covering January to June 2026.
The corruption case filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) against former Navy Commander, Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda, and Yoshitha Rajapaksa was set for a pre-trial conference by the Colombo High Court.
The case was taken up before the Colombo High Court on Thursday (17), when the accused, who are currently out on bail, appeared before the court. After considering the submissions made, the court ordered that the case be called for a pre-trial conference.
The CIABOC had filed the case against the accused, alleging that a corruption offence was committed by sending Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, for training at the Royal Naval College in the United Kingdom despite him not having the required qualifications.
The Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to conduct an investigation and submit a report on whether a statement made by former Minister Wimal Weerawansa at a political rally, in Anuradhapura, on September 12, amounted to contempt of court.
Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara, appearing for the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), made the request when a complaint filed against MP Namal Rajapaksa in connection with the Airbus issue was taken up.
Bandara also handed over to court a compact disc containing the relevant speech made by Weerawansa.
After considering the request, Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama directed the IGP to conduct an investigation into the matter and submit a report to court.
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