UNP appoints subcommittee to report on ongoing investigations

• Subcommittee to obtain information from FCID, CID, AG’s Dept. and other Govt. investigative arms
• Sagala presents report to Working Committee on progress of investigations
• Says critical investigations on some cases missing

By Chathuri Dissanayake

The United National Party Working Committee yesterday appointed a five-member subcommittee to give monthly update reports on the status of investigations carried out by the Financial Crimes Investigations Department, Criminal Investigations Department, Attorney General’s Department and other investigative arms of the Government, said UNP Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe.

The committee comprises Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake, Justice Minister Thalatha Athukorala, Power and Energy Deputy Minister Ajith Perera, State Minister of Finance Eran Wickramaratne and State Minister of International Trade Sujeewa Senasinghe.

“The committee will report to the working committee once a month. We will get information from the authorities conducting the investigations and present it,” Senasinghe told Daily FT.

He also stressed that the delay in processing was at the Attorney General’s Department as it had not got the staff needed for the institution.

Minister Ratnayake yesterday presented a report to the UNP Working Committee detailing an update on the ongoing investigation.

According to his presentation, 370 cases had been documented, of them 73 have been referred to various institutions for investigation and follow-up action. Another 92 cases have been referred to the Attorney General.

Further, he informed the party high-rankers that crucial evidence needed in three cases – the Lasantha Wickrematunge murder case, Wasim Thajudeen murder case and Prageeth Eknaliyagoda disappearance case – was being withheld, sources said.

Further, the Minister also claimed that the document sent to the AG’s Department for instruction had gone missing, sources said.

“We will be working with the AG’s Department and with other Government departments to determine the reasons for the delays. It may be because of the way Government officials work too,” Senasinghe said.

The Minister also said that his proposal to set up three courts to function as a trial-at-bar, which was later pushed by Deputy Minister Ajith Perera, was also approved today at the Working Committee Meeting.

“These courts will push through financial frauds at a trial-at-bar,” he said.