Even though the Police have completed investigations into incidents in which politicians’ properties were set on fire during the ‘Aragalaya’ and forwarded the relevant files to the Attorney General’s (AG) Department, the necessary legal action has still not been taken, former Parliamentarian Pemasiri Manage claimed.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (10), he said: “A lot of politicians’ properties were set on fire during the Aragalaya. Cabinet Ministers, State Ministers, MPs, former politicians and even the houses of their relatives were destroyed by certain organised groups. My house was damaged, and I was provided with compensation of less than Rs 200,000. I also had to spend my personal money on the repairs,” he said.

He added that the Police had informed him that the files relating to the incidents had been sent to the AG’s Department, but that he was unaware of any reason for the alleged delay in taking the next steps.

“These incidents took place more than four years ago. Why does it take this long? The Government had been moving quickly to investigate and pursue other matters. Why is the same urgency not being shown in relation to the destruction of our properties?” he questioned.

AG, President’s Counsel Parinda Ranasinghe Junior was not available for comment.

The comments relate to the violence that followed the May 2022 attack on anti-Government protesters at Galle Face and the subsequent unrest across the country. During the violence, the homes and properties of several serving and former politicians were attacked, damaged or set on fire.