BASL probes whether Wijedasa or Rajitha pressurized to accord special privileges to Basil and his two accomplices who are remanded

(Lanka-e-News- 26.April.2015, 11.00PM) Whether it is Basil Rajapakse or any other criminal , when the court remands him / her , every prisoner should be treated in the same way . Yet , the prison authorities are  according  Basil and his other two accomplices  special  privileges , which is tantamount  to corruption , the Bar association (BASL) alleged at its meeting held yesterday , and against this, action must be taken , the BASL further decided. 

Jeffrey Aalagaratnam was appointed as the new president of the BASL yesterday , and at his inaugural session this decision was taken. The lawyers present questioned how  when Basil gets a heart attack ,  his two accomplices too are suffering from  cardiac arrest? When Basil took ill in the prison , he was transferred to the national hospital even before submitting  another medical report to court ,and obtaining  the permission from the judge .

There is information that justice minister Wijedasa Rajapakse and health minister Rajitha Senarathne have exerted pressures on behalf of Basil , and if that is true it constitutes corruption , and action must be taken ,the BASL executive committee declared. When law is being enforced against criminals , whether it is ex president or the present  Prime minister (P.M.) , everyone is equal before the law , and they must respect the rule of law . Double standards cannot be practiced to  change the laws to suit the Rajapakses , the BASL emphasized.

Lanka e news inquired from Wijedasa Rajapakse and Rajitha Senarathne in regard to the comments made by the BASL: 

Wijedasa Rajapakse  said , he became aware of the hospitalization of Basil only through the media while adding that there are hundreds of prisoners sent to prison every day by courts , and Basil is just one of them. He also noted that if the prisons commissioner or the prisons hospital chief  has acted in transgression of the laws , he would take  necessary action against them . Nevertheless , providing medical treatment to a patient cannot be precluded even by the judge , he pinpointed.

Dr. Rajitha Senarathne answering queries raised by Lanka e news , said , the transfer of Basil and his two accomplices from the prison to outside hospital itself is unlawful. Though the prisoner can be taken to the OPD of the prison hospital , sending him to a specialist  directly named by him , is wrong. Hence the prison hospital chief and the Colombo general  hospital Director have not acted duly , Rajitha pointed out. It is most strange that when Basil  falls sick his two other accomplices also have become sick . ‘ If these are individuals who came to take treatment  only,  from the hospital , that is alright. But what they are doing is while being  there , they are engaging in politics contriving  methods to sabotage the 19 th amendment . Now the Colombo general hospital will have to be named a s the prisoners’ hospital , he lamented. 

When Lanka e news inquired , whether because Rajitha and Basil were classmates and friends , he favored Basil, Rajitha replied , ‘ classmate’ story is true , but he had not acted partially towards anyone. Besides as these are wrongful  procedures  offending against  the laws , an investigation  shall be conducted into this , he pointed out 

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by     (2015-04-26 17:52:36)