Rishad seeks for Inter Parliamentary Union observation

Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen is seeking the services of Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) to send a mission to observe judicial proceedings instituted against him in Sri Lanka.

Bathiudeen has written to IPU and had noted that that the upcoming proceedings in Colombo and Mannar could take place in a hostile environment created by one-sided reports in the media and as a result of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka adopting an aggressive stance towards him.

He has stated that the BASL had called for a nation-wide boycott of judicial proceedings even without seeking a clarification from him. Furthermore, the BASL has made strong allegations and stated that he is guilty of contempt of court even before an investigation was initiated or his statement recorded.

“The resulting position is that I am presently called upon to answer charges of a criminal nature in two courts whilst the CID investigations are still pending. The vindictive role of the Bar Association and the hostility generated by the partisan presentation in the media has caused me grave concern which is aggravated by the fact that there are political and communal undertones,” Minister Bathiudeen had said in his letter to the IPU. “The environment thereby generated is one of great prejudice against me. Section of the press has also made a concerted effort to sensationalise the incident by seeking to unduly make this out as symptomatic of a clash between the Executive and the Judiciary. As such, I am firmly convinced that the appearance of observers from the Inter Parliamentary Union would be a significant contribution towards ensuring that justice prevails,” Bathiudeen has claimed. Bathiudeen has denied all allegations levelled against him and has affirmed that he has always accorded the judiciary the highest respect and regard.