Cabinet decides not to implement recommendations on political victimization

• No Findings against President by the commission

 By Lakmal Sooriyagoda 

Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam yesterday informed Court of Appeal that the Cabinet of Ministers has taken a decision not to implement recommendations of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed to probe incidents of political victimization. 

The Attorney General made these remarks when the writ petitions filed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, former MP Jayampathy Wickramaratne and several others were taken up before Court of Appeal. 

President Ranil Wickremesinghe while he was functioning as an opposition MP filed a writ petition seeking an order staying the operation of finding and recommendations of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed to probe incidents of political victimization. 

President Wickremesinghe had cited the commissioners of Presidential Commission retired Supreme Court Judge Upali Abeyratne, retired Court of Appeal Judge Chandrasiri Jayatilake and former IGP Chandra Fernando, Commission Secretary Pearl Weerasinghe and Secretary to the President P. B. Jayasundera as respondents. Court of Appeal three-judge-bench comprising Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne, Justice M. T. M. Lafar and Justice D.M. Samarakoon fixed the petition for support on March 1.

In his petition, President Ranil Wickremesinghe is seeking an order suspending the operation of the findings and recommendations contained on pages 17-51 of the commission report relating to the petitioner. 

Wickremesinghe states that on or about 4th September 2020 he attended the Presidential Commission and was informed by the Commission that he was not being treated as a respondent, but only as a witness.