By Shamindra Ferdinando
Police spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler said yesterday that the police legal division would most probably consult the Attorney General’s Department regarding the Gampaha Magistrate Bandula Gunarathna’s directive in respect of IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya.
ASP Wootler said so responding to The Island query yesterday (22) regarding the previous day’s court proceedings in the Gampaha Magistrate court.
The Gampaha Magistrate on Wednesday (21) directed the court registrar to forward case files in respect of the IGP to the President of the Court of Appeal to initiate contempt of court proceedings over the alleged failure to comply with court orders. Weerasooriya, who received the appointment as IGP in August last year is also an attorney-at-law.
Nalin Rohantha Abeysooriya, PC, serves as the President of the Court of Appeal. ASP Wootler, who is also an attorney-at-law, said that the legal division was in
the process of studying the case.
The Magistrate found fault with the IGP for disregarding a specific directive issued several months ago to issue a circular prohibiting law enforcement authorities from filing cases on false charges. The Magistrate rapped the IGP for issuing a circular by the area DIG dated 19 Oct., applicable to Gampaha, Kelaniya and Negombo police divisions disregarding his directive to issue a countrywide order.
The Magistrate ordered punitive measures against the IGP in the wake of three policemen and the police department being directed to pay Rs 200,000 in damages to Chamara Chathuranga Marasinghe after falsely accused him of drug possession in two separate cases by the Gampaha Anti-Corruption Unit.
Chairman of the Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners attorney-at-law Senaka Perera told The Island that there had been numerous cases of police framing suspects. The courts have dealt with the issue on many occasions but the latest directive given by the Gampaha Magistrate proved that the police were continuing to pursue a disgraceful strategy. Perera said, adding that the issue had received significant public attention following the recent Negombo prison killings.