News
Drug money in local polls: President orders probe
View(s):By Ranjith Padmasiri
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake this week said he had information that drug traffickers funded local government councillors who have been elected at this month's polls and asked Police to investigate the infiltration of organised criminal gangs into the political process.
Addressing a meeting of senior officials from institutions, including the Police Department and the Attorney General's Department, at the Presidential Secretariat, President Dissanayake said he was
concerned over information he claimed to have received alleging that several leading drug traffickers had funded candidates who contested this month's local council elections and that a significant number of those candidates had been elected.
The President had described this as a sign of a dangerous future, stating that at a time when criminal gangs had lost political patronage, they were trying to continue their illegal activities by installing politicians who would answer to them.
The meeting was to discuss difficulties faced by Police when conducting high-profile investigations and filing charges related to them. Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe and senior officials of the AG's Department were present at the discussion, along with senior police officers.
The Sunday Times learns that the President has instructed Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala and Public Security Ministry Secretary Ravi Seneviratne to immediately take action to investigate the allegations of criminal gangs backing local politicians and to expedite cases against leading traffickers.
Senior Additional Solicitor General Rohantha Abeysuriya had proposed the setting up of specialised courts to try organised crime. He said when Police receive information regarding serious organised crimes, they should immediately inform the Attorney General, begin investigations and submit evidence in court.
Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris pointed to the breakdown of the relationship between the Police and the AG's Department. The issue, as well as how to rebuild and strengthen the relationship, was discussed at length at the meeting, the Sunday Times also learns.
Public Security Ministry Secretary Ravi Seneviratne, meanwhile, noted that a reason for shortcomings in investigations was that more than 400 skilled officers had been transferred to various areas in the past. Action was being taken to rectify this situation, he stated.
Another subject that came up for discussion was the delay in filing cases over frauds committed at international levels—such as the MiG deal. It was pointed out that some countries were not rendering the expected assistance under Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA), leading to delays.
Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said the Justice Ministry, after consultations with the Foreign Ministry, could develop a mechanism whereby the country's ambassadors could be utilised to obtain MLA in a proper manner.
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