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Lawyers group claims lack of faith in CID probe 

11 May 2022

  • Claims Kollupitiya Police ignored warnings of threat of Monday’s attack
  • Calls for action against unlawful assembly inside Temple Trees   
BY Dinitha Rathnayake  The Lawyers’ Forum for the People claimed that they have no faith in the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) investigation into the attacks on peaceful protestors in Colombo. On Monday (9), Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Government supporters attacked peaceful anti-Government protestors and protest sites at the “Maina/MynaGoGama” in Kollupitiya and “GotaGoGama” in Galle Face.   Speaking to The Morning, the Forum’s Co-Convenor and Attorney Senaka Perera said that he was the first person to lodge a complaint at the Kollupitiya Police Station at around 10 a.m. in relation to the attacks. “We lodged a complaint at the Kollupitiya Police Station at around 10 a.m. on Monday, informing that there is a possible threat of an attack to the peaceful protest at the Galle Face. The Kollupitiya Police totally ignored our concerns and said that there is no possible threat. Still, they didn't take any action against it or record any statement regarding my complaint.” He alleged that the attack was a plan by the Government and that everyone involved in law and order had supported it. “The meeting held at the Temple Trees on Monday morning between then-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his supporters, including local Government politicians, was an unlawful assembly. Action should be taken against it. The CID investigation is just a traditional way of responding to the international community,” he said. When The Morning inquired about the allegations, Police Media Spokesman Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and Attorney Nihal Thalduwa said that he had not received any information about such a complaint. The CID is conducting investigations into the attacks on anti-Government protesters near the Temple Trees and at the Galle Face Green in Colombo by supporters of the SLPP. Meanwhile, video footage has emerged of the inaction of the Police when Rajapaksa supporters stormed the protest site at the Galle Face Green. Government Parliamentarian Sanath Nishantha who was among the SLPP leaders who led the attacks on peaceful protesters has also been pictured with Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon at Galle Face. Further, the Head of Security for the former Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa and other officials have been summoned to the CID to record statements over the attacks on peaceful protests that took place on Monday The Army announced that its troops were deployed to Colombo and its suburbs to ensure public security. Meanwhile, Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has advised the Parliament staff to include the no confidence motion against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa into the agenda, as a motion to express displeasure toward President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Speaker Abeywardena said that he has also requested Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana D. Wickramaratne to tighten the security of all MPs.  


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