• The commission warned that legal action would be taken against the police department in Magistrate Courts under the Section 39 of the RTI Act on the latter’s failure to do so before the set date

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

The Right to Information Commission (RTI) concluding its inquiry on not furnishing the expiry dates of the tear gas canisters used on Aragalaya activists in recent protests delivered its judgement yesterday ordering the Police Department to supply all relevant information by November 14th or face legal action.   

The Five member commission headed by retired Supreme Court Judge Upali Abeyratne and the other Commissioners former Chairperson of Appeal Court Judge Rohini Walgama and Attorneys Kishali Pinto Jayawardena, Jagath Liyana Arachchi and Mohamed Nabhiya signed the judgement and delivered it at the commission hearing held at the BMICH yesterday.   

The commission probed an inquiry which lasted for about two months on a complaint made by freelance journalist Tharindu Jayawardena who requested all the details pertaining to the tear gas canisters used by the Sri Lanka Police on Galle Face Aragalaya activists and other anti-government protests in the past few months. The journalist claimed that the tear gas used had expired a long time ago.   

The RTI Commission ordered the Police Department to furnish all the information pertaining to the tear gas stocks used and kept in hand, its expiry dates, purchase orders and times, tender procedures etc. by November 14 to the commission in writing.   

The commission warned that legal action would be taken against the police department in Magistrate Courts under the Section 39 of the RTI Act on the latter’s failure to do so before the set date.   

Attorneys Manushika Cooray and Suren D Perera appeared for Journalist Tharindu Jayawardena whilst officials from the Police Supplies Division and Police Legal Division were present at the hearing.