Who is the VVIP to be arrested according to IGP’s prediction?

2016-07-27

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara made a most intriguing remark recently. He said, in the future those whom none would have even dreamt of are going to be taken into custody.

The crucial question is: who are these culprits who cannot even be unimagined of and are beyond the dreams of any law abiding citizen?
While this has evoked the curiosity of the people, it also appears that the pro- Mahinda group has been rattled by the IGP's announcement. They are questioning, how could the IGP make such a statement? When the ministers and MPs of the Maithri-Ranil Government earlier on revealed the bigwigs of Mahinda's Government are going to be taken into custody, the pro-Mahinda groups sarcastically asked, whether cases are now being heard by politicians. And now when the IGP echoes that, the same groups are saying, he cannot make such statements.

Truly, the heavyweights of the Maithri-Ranil Government making utterances about those to be arrested is wrong because it constitutes political interference with the legal processes, but of course the Police saying such a thing is not improper because the report of the Police investigation is received by the IGP. It is the IGP who knows who is going to be arrested, and who is not. Hence the IGP's remark, those whom none would have dreamt of are going to be arrested is obviously after having read the investigation reports.

Voted for good governance
Certainly, this comment should have made those who voted for good governance to rejoice for these voters desired that the culprits shall be trapped well and thoroughly. In the mandate given by the people to the good governance government, the topmost priority is given to apprehending the ace rogues, whereas the former IGP appointed by Mahinda Rajapaksa did not understand this mandate given by the pro-good governance masses to the government. During the tenure of office of ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa, if the IGP at that time had made such an announcement, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa would have squeezed the neck of the IGP because at that time the Police were puppets under the Rajapaksa Government. The IGP was only a ventriloquist dummy of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The former had only to announce what the latter instructed.

After Maithri became the President however, the Police were able to function with freedom. The former IGP suppressed the Thajudeen murder investigation, and most of the frauds and corruption of the Rajapaksas. If the Maithri-Ranil team had only given orders to arrest the pro-Mahinda groups, by now Gotabaya will not be shouting and screaming amidst the security provided to him that the Tigers are rising again. Wimal Weerawansa, too, who forged the passport, birth certificate and cheated on the government will not be globetrotting gleefully and making a huge hue and cry that the government is betraying the country.

The best example illustrating the vindictive arrest of opponents of a government was taking into custody of Sarath Fonseka by the government of Mahinda. When Fonseka was arrested even an indictment sheet was not served on him. The victim did not even know why he was arrested. It is only after he was dragged and taken, and put behind bars that the Attorney General's (AG) Department filed indictment.

At that time, unlike now the Courts did not question the indictments filed by the AG's Department. Verdicts were delivered by accepting the indictments. Fonseka was not produced before Court after remanding him for a day or week, and granted bail. He was in Welikada Jail from 2010 until 2013.
Azath Salley
The other case in point is the arrest of Azath Salley on 3 May 2013. Unbelievably, except Azath Salley no one else including the police spokesman knew why or wherefore Salley was taken into custody. The Police Spokesman revealed Salley was taken into custody on an anonymous complaint. Later the government to save face said, he was taken into custody based on his inflammatory statements. That was how the government ordered the Police and took individuals into custody.
If this government was also to issue such orders to take into custody, today the entire family of Rajapaksa must be within the four walls of the prison. Because this government has entrusted that task to the Police, until the charges are filed, the culprits are still free. Though the whole country was aware about the murky activities at the CSN channel, and that Yoshitha was responsible, it took a year for the Police to prove it. The Police took Yoshitha into custody only in January 2016.

Namal was taken into custody only just recently. The UNP which was in the Opposition at that time raised this Krrish deal and questioned on this as far back as in 2013. However, Executive Director Gupta of Krrish Co. issuing a statement to the Sunday Times newspaper of 14 July 2013 refuted the allegations mounted that bribes were given to a VVIP politician of Sri Lanka and a high rung government servant. When Dr. Harsha de Silva (of the then Opposition), too, questioned on this at that time, then Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena repudiated the accusations.

It is now nearly one and a half years since the Maithri-Ranil Government came to power. It has taken one and a half years to probe into this Krrish deal, and it is only thereafter Namal could be arrested. If Namal was arrested owing to political pressures, surely Namal would not have been released in a week. Basil did not remain in incarceration for a month, and Yoshitha was in remand custody for only about a fortnight and Namal too wasn't in remand custody for even a week. This was all because of the independent investigations, arrests and delivery of verdicts by the Courts sans pressures. Whether it is Namal, Yoshitha or Basil, the question the Courts asked was, when they are arrested, why can't they be granted bail? If the Police had not duly filed the plaint they are released.

During the period of the Rajapaksa administration when its opponents were arrested, the first thing it did was exerting pressure on the Courts. Whether it was Fonseka or Sally, the term they should be held in prison was decided by the Rajapaksa family. After that, the decision is first conveyed to the Courts, and subsequently the Police are issued orders. On the contrary, today, it is the Police that decide who shall and shan't be arrested. This is precisely why the IGP had been able to announce those least expected even in a dream are going to be arrested. Right now, the entire country is in earnest anticipation to learn who these culprits are.