A Heads-Up For Sri Lanka Press Freedom Watchers

June 2, 2012

By Bob Dietz -

Bob Dietz

Former Attorney General Mohan Peiris has been ordered to testify about a statement he made at the U.N. Committee Against Torture in Geneva on November 9, 2011, in which he said that Prageeth Eknelygoda was alive and living outside the country (see “Sri Lanka’s savage smokescreen“). Peiris will have to appear at the Homogama Magistrate’s Court in Colombo on June 5, next Tuesday, which has been hearing the case brought by Eknelygoda’s wife, Sandhya, to learn more about his disappearance on January 24, 2010.

Government lawyers had argued against making Peiris appear and testify, saying that doing so amounted to harassment of a government official (see “In Sri Lanka: Protecting Peiris, hounding victim’s family“). But if he doesn’t show up, he will be violating the Appeal Court’s decision ordering his appearance. Of course, he could feign illness and not appear–or the government’s lawyers could find another stalling tactic in this case, which has been going on for years. Peiris is now the senior legal adviser to the cabinet, and many Sri Lankans say he is aiming to become the next Supreme Court Chief Justice–so you can be sure he has the government’s backing in whatever he plans to do on Tuesday.

If you’re not well acquainted with the case, here’s some background: Read More