Police witch-hunt leaves Palestinian investor languishing in jail

• Police officials had not attend court when the case was called 

 By Shirley Candappa   

A Palestinian national who had invested in a hotel and restaurant in Hikkaduwa, was arrested and was languishing in the Galle remand prison for 14 days with the police not filing charges apparently due to vested, dubious interests, Daily Mirror learns.  

The investor requested anonymity fearing possible adverse repercussions from authorities. His crime -the loss of his passport.   

On 1 June the Galle Magistrate ordered his release on bail. According to Amith Weerasekera, the lawyer representing the investor, the Magistrate reprimanded the Police, asking them not to waste the time of Court by bringing accused before him without even filing charges.   

The investor had mislaid his passport at the time police had asked him to hand it over for inspection. The Palestine Embassy, once the problem was brought to their notice, identified the suspect as being a Palestinian citizen who entered the country on a valid passport with the intention of investing in Sri Lanka.   

A few days after his arrest the embassy provided the accused a fresh passport along with letters confirming he (the accused) had indeed lost his passport and the document which was to be presented in court was a valid document.   The Department of Immigration and Emigration confirmed the investor was in possession of a valid visa. However, Police officials did not attend court when the case was called. The hearing was put off for 1 June 2023.   

It meant a possibly innocent man and an investor was left languishing in remand custody for a longer period.   

According to the accused, he was incarcerated in a cell approximately 72 sq ft. He had to share this tiny space with five others. To make matters worse, he claimed the cell was bug-ridden. The marks on over his body indicated the truth of his statement. It also had no toilet facilities, a single empty bottle served as urinal for the prisoners for each night.   Why do our people treat persons who have either invested the much needed foreign exchange in our country or have the potential to bring in the much needed capital we are in need of with such disdain?   
Is it that we still worship the colour of the skin of our past colonial masters, or are these little minded people just looking for kickbacks?   

However, it is up to the government to ensure the capital and businesses invested by foreigners, whether they be from Europe Timbuktu or the Middle East are not disrupted by unscrupulous and corrupt elements.   

Large investors from Oman were here earlier this year, but the group left alleging corrupt authorities, -bureaucrats and officials- had openly demanded bribes and other kick backs they had no intention of paying.   

In Negombo recently, an Omani investor who was involved in the apparel business was manhandled by local goons who were instigated by a local politician.   

• According to the accused, he was incarcerated in a cell approximately 72 sq ft. He had to share this tiny space with five others. To make matters worse, he claimed the cell was bug-ridden