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Friday Sep 20, 2024
Tuesday, 17 December 2019 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The United National Party (UNP) yesterday expressed concerns that investigations into alleged white van drivers and the reopening of investigations regarding a motor vehicle accident involving parliamentarian Champika Ranawaka were political motivated.
A group of UNP parliamentarians yesterday charged that the Government was misusing the law to intimidate their political opponents and suppress the media. The allegations were made at a press conference held yesterday attended by UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Ajith P. Perera, Eran Wickramaratne, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Chandrani Bandaranayake, Dr. Harsha de Silva, Prof. Ashu Marasinghe among others.
Yesterday, the courts granted permission to detain the two self-proclaimed ‘white van’ drivers for questioning till 27 December. Both suspects fronted a controversial press conference with then Cabinet Minister Rajitha Senaratne before the Presidential Election, claiming to have driven the vehicles involved in abductions during the 2005-2015 era.
“We can clearly see that the Government has begun to suppress their political rivals,” claimed UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam pointing out that the launching of a new investigation to an accident which happened in 2016 involving MP Ranawaka was futile as the matter had been taken to courts and a penalty assigned.
The parliamentarians alleged that two women and a child related to MP Ranawaka’s former driver were illegally detained by the Police. Calling the move an ‘abduction’ MP Perera, stated that to pick up a suspect’s family members without cause was not within the law.
The group alleged that wife, mother and the two-year-old daughter of the former driver of Champika Ranawaka was abducted by individuals pretending to be police at around 12.45 a.m. yesterday. The group stated that the family had been taken from their residence in Galle and driven to Colombo in a car bearing registration number 64-8636 and was detained in the vehicle near a location of MP Ranawaka’s residence.
“This is illegal, it violates the fundamental rights of Champika Ranawaka and his driver,” MP Ajith P. Perera charged, pointing out that up to date Ranawaka nor had his driver received any order regarding the travel ban imposed on them recently. “This is a move to arrest the driver, this is illegal,” he added. The group plans to inform the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCL) and the National Police Commission on the matter, he added.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the taking away of one Ireha Lakmali, R.H. Sumanawathi and child, who happen to be the family of the former Minister Champika Ranawaka’s former driver on a case that has been already concluded. There is no provision in the law to try somebody twice for a case that has already been concluded,” stressed MP de Silva, pointing out that if new evidence was found there was a proper process to reopen a case.
“This is a violation of the rights of these innocent people, there are ways which law has to be applied, in this case it seems that the law has been interpreted in the way the new Government wishes to interpret it,” he opined calling it unacceptable as the law must be equal to everyone. However, the Police told the court that the said family members came with them voluntarily.
De Silva claimed that some media institutions and journalists have been harassed during the last one month since the Government took office. The group of parliamentarians stated that they stand by MP Ranawaka, his driver and pledged to resist any political victimisation of Opposition members and suppression of free media.
