Sri Lanka's President Vows Justice for Long-Standing Crimes

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake resffirmed his commitment to justice in long-standing cases.

Dissanayake during the Satana program on Sirasa TV emphasized his administration's unwavering commitment to ensuring that past crimes do not fade away with time. 

He highlighted the established structures in place to conduct thorough investigations, including the Criminal Investigations Department, the Attorney General's Department, and the judiciary.

President Dissanayake pointed out that many detectives who were crucial to these investigations had been transferred when Gotabaya Rajapaksa assumed office, with around 650 detectives reassigned and subjected to overseas travel bans. The current administration is working to reinstate these detectives and recruit new officers, a process that has taken some time.

Addressing the assassination of journalist Lasantha Wickremetunge, who was killed on January 8, 2009, President Dissanayake acknowledged the challenges of investigating a murder nearly 16 years later. Despite the difficulties, he assured that the investigation would not be abandoned.

The President also noted the challenges in other high-profile cases, such as the murder of Thajudeen, where the key witness, the Chief Judicial Medical Officer, is deceased. Similarly, in the case of Poddala Jayantha, crucial medical reports have gone missing. Despite these obstacles, President Dissanayake affirmed that justice would be served.

He highlighted positive progress in the investigations into the Easter Sunday Terror Attacks and expressed confidence in soon taking legal action over the assault on Keith Noyahr. 

"Investigations into the Wasim Thajudeen murder are still ongoing. As mentioned earlier, we are at a point where statements need to be recorded from several naval officers. The issue is that documents have gone missing to the extent that we cannot even identify who these naval officers are," said the President.