Inaction on CJs

By Gihan Kamalesh Weerasinghe and Ariyaratna Ganegoda 2013-02-09 The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) is yet to reach a decision on the complaints put forward against Chief Justice Mohan Peiris and impeached Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, Chairman of the Commission, Jagath Balapatabendi, said. A former Supreme Court Judge, Balapatabendi, said the report of the Investigation Unit, which had made inquiries into the complaints against former Chief Justice Bandaranayake, had not been handed over to the Commission yet. Legal action against the ousted CJ can be made only after the Commission receives the report of the investigations carried out against her. Balapatabendi also said no decision has been made with regard to the complaints made against current CJ Mohan Peiris. Out of the 53 complaints received against top government officials during the last five months, the Commission has conduct 24 successful raids, Director-General, Lukshmi Jayawickrama told Ceylon Today. She said the Commission has arrested and, proceeding with investigations on seven police officials, four wildlife officers, a deputy commissioner of the Inland Revenue Department, a Pradeshiya Sabha member and a top Customs official. According to Jayawickrama, all the suspects have been caught red handed while obtaining cash inducements. Not natural deaths – official By Gihan Kamalesh Weerasinghe-2013-02-09 The skeletal remains found in the mass grave at the Matale Hospital premises do not belong to people who had died due to natural causes, as their arms and legs appear to have been severed and the bodies buried in a haphazard manner, a senior police official said. According to a Judicial Medical Officer (JMO), who was part of the excavation team at the site, the grave shows signs of mass killings, but it is yet to be determined the time period the killings had taken place. He also said the remains may need to be sent to the US for further analysis. However, archaeological investigations have revealed the skeletal remains are not older than 100 years. Politburo member of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Anura Kumara Dissanayake, claimed recently the remains in the mass grave belong to the youth killed during the 88-89 insurrection.