( Saman Rathnapriya – a leading civil society activist in Sri Lanka)
Puravesi Balaya wants committee to probe allegations .
A coalition of civil society movements including trade unions and the Puravesi Balaya yesterday lashed out at the Attorney General for taking arbitrary decision to conclude the cases filed against LTTE chief arms procurer, Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP and the floating armoury of Avante Garde Security Services Limited.
According to Puravesi Balaya Convenor Saman Ratnapriya, the AG has taken an arbitrary decision to conclude these cases even after a Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) has recommended him by a report to proceed with the cases. Ratnapriya said that a copy of the report was sent by the DSG to the Attorney General asking him to proceed with these cases was with him.
Rathnapriya urged the President to appoint a committee comprising suitable persons to look into the decisions of the Attorney General regarding these cases.
“There is no legal provision to take forward these cases due to the position taken by the AG,” he said.
He said that it has been reported that KP has committed a number of crimes for decades, including assisting the LTTE to carry out terrorist activities.
Under his assistance many bombs were exploded killing thousands of innocent unarmed persons.
He was also a fund raiser for the LTTE which is a banned terrorist organisation and supplied arms to the terrorist outfit, among other crimes. Besides, he has been accused by India in connection with assassinating former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
However, according to the Attorney General there is no legal provision to take further legal action.
“There is no legal sanction to maintain private armories in the country, but the Avant Garde company had two armories, one on a ship and the other in a store at the BMICH. This is clearly a violation of the country’s civil law,” Rathnapriya said.
He said that the FCID has forwarded 20 files to the Attorney General for further action but the Attorney General’s Department has done nothing as yet on these 20 cases.
Therefore, the conduct of the Attorney General’s Department should be inquired into by a high power commission. It is must in order to create equality in society.
The people of this country never expected such a situation when they elected this government to power to strengthen good governance and democracy.
by Dharma Sri Abeyratne and Chaminda Perera
CDN