Anura Kumara files petition with CA against PCoI recommendation

Colombo (News 1st); JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake filed a writ application with the Court of Appeal on Wednesday (24) seeking an order to invalidate the recommendations made by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Political Victimization to name him as a respondent and institute legal action.

The Chairman of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry and its members, the Secretary of the Presidential Commission, member of the Cabinet, the Cabinet Secretary, Director General of the Bribery Commission, the Inspector General of Police, and the Attorney General were named as respondents in the application filed by Dissanayake. The application noted the Presidential Commission of Inquiry was only appointed to investigate, in any, incidents of political victimization that had taken place on state officers from the 08th of January 2015 to the 16th of November 2019. Anura Kumara Dissanayake further noted in his petition that it is illegal for the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to recommend the release of suspects and defendants from cases filed by the Attorney General and the Bribery Commission. It is also illegal for the Presidential Commission to recommend legal action against parties that filed an action against the above-mentioned suspects and defendants. The petitioner pointed out to the court that making such recommendations is going beyond the mandate of the Presidential Commission. Therefore, the petitioner requested the court to issue an order to suspend the decision taken by the cabinet of ministers instructing the Attorney General to implement the said recommendations.