CC wants to question AG

January 26, 2020, 10:20 pm

The Constitutional Council has decided to summon Attorney General (AG) Dappula de Livera to question him on the instructions he has issued to the Police to arrest Judge Gihan Pilapitiya.

The CC, which met, on Friday, had decided that Speaker Karu Jayasuriya should summon the AG to inquire into the matter, the Communications Division of Parliament said.

"Attorney General Dappula de Livera’s directive to the police to arrest High Court Judge Gihan Pilapitiya came to receive special attention of the Constitutional Council (CC) last Friday at the Parliament Complex.

"It was discussed at the CC meeting that the decision made by the Attorney General is likely to undermine public confidence in the judiciary.

"The impact of such directives on the independence of the judicial system and the professional dignity of judges was brought to light in a lengthy discussion with regard to the matter of concern.

"The arrests of MPs on the directive of the Attorney General as well as the arrests of the IGP and the former Defense Secretary gained the special attention of the Constitutional Council members in light of the aforesaid."

Acting Inspector General of Police C. D. Wikramarathne has already appointed a five member committee to study instructions issued by the Attorney General to arrest interdicted High Court Judge Gihan Pilapitya over the controversial Ranjan Ramanayake telephone recordings.

The Attorney General had earlier instructed the Director of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) to obtain a warrant and arrest interdicted High Court Judge Gihan Pilapitiya and produce him before court.

The AG’s Coordinating Officer Nishara Jayaratne had stated that the Attorney General directed the CCD to arrest Pilapitiya for conspiring to fabricate false evidence with Ramanayake.