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Govt. rewards murderers while punishing police officers, former Justice Minister responds to Duminda’s release

24 Jun 2021

By Aazam Ameen Former Justice Minister Thalatha Athukorale, M.P. in a statement today (24), pointed out that beginning with the pardon of “child killer” Sunil Ratnayake, the present regime has demonstrated a pattern of rewarding murderers while punishing police officers who have the courage to investigate murders committed by powerful or politically connected people. “The presidential pardon granted to convicted murderer Duminda Silva, may have shocked those who trusted this government, but it comes as no surprise to those of us who knew their attitude towards protecting murderers and punishing those who investigated them. Duminda Silva’s death sentence was unanimously upheld by a bench of five Supreme Court Justices,” she stated. Athukorale also drew attention to what was uncovered by the Court of Appeal during the process of granting bail to former CID Director SSP Shani Abeysekara. “The Court of Appeal found that the government fabricated false evidence and false statements and used draconian laws without a shred of evidence to punish independent professional police officers who refuse to bow to them. That judgment gave people reason to hope that there are still independent, law-abiding civil servants and members of the judiciary with a backbone who will not bow down to the executive or bend the criminal justice system and other state machinery to their whim and fancy,” Athukorale said. She also mentioned that today, those found guilty of the most serious crimes in our law enjoy presidential protection while the judges and police officers who brought them to justice have targets on their backs and added that if any harm were to befall them, the government will be held entirely responsible. “It is up to those remaining professional police officers and civil servants to remember that Sri Lanka is not a monarchy, to ignore coercion by the executive and to place the lives of these upstanding judges and police officers before whatever threats or inducements may be offered to them for looking the other way,” she urged.


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