EC stalls Police over ex-FCID Chief inquiry

Saturday, 2 November 2019 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Elections Commissioner requests Acting IGP postpone inquiry with ex-FCID chief spouse and son till after polls
Move follows after ex-FCIDs chief’s son writes to Commission through his lawyer
Son claims next week’s scheduled inquiry could be used to prejudice voters by media
Says this would be in violation of elections laws and directives of EC
Commission says reasonable grounds for concern and requests Acting IGP to consider delaying inquiry

By Chandani Kirinde

The Election Commission (EC) yesterday wrote to Acting IGP Senior DIG C. D. Wickramaratne requesting him to consider postponing an inquiry against the spouse and son of former FCID head Ravi Waidyalankara scheduled for next week after they sought EC intervention to get the case delayed on grounds that it could influence the Presidential Elections.

Asela Waidyalankara, son of the former FCID head, wrote to the EC on Thursday (31 October) on behalf of him and his mother stating that they have been issued notice to appear at the FCID on 4 and 5 November for an inquiry related to a case initiated by the FCID in 2015 and this information has been given wide publicity in the media.

In the letter sent through his lawyer, Asela Waidyalankara said he believes that their appearance at the FCID for the inquiry would be highlighted by “interested parties in the print and electronic media merely for the purpose of gaining an advantage to certain candidates contesting the election”. “The issuance of notice to my client and his mother had been given wide publicity which my client strongly believes prejudices the minds of the voters in the forthcoming Presidential Election."

In this context, it is conspicuous that the summoning of my client and his mother will have a great impact on the elections, which is a certain violation of elections laws and the directives of the EC,” wrote Attorney-at-Law Malinda Bandara Wasala for Asela Waidyalankara.

Their appeal to the EC was to direct the FCID to postpone the inquiry till after 20 November and assured his client and his mother would be present at the inquiry.

EC sources said that after considering the request, the Commission has decided that there are reasonable grounds for such a request and wrote to the Acting IGP, requesting him to consider postponing the date of the inquiry.