The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna has rejected allegations that remarks by its General Secretary, Attorney-at-Law Sagara Kariyawasam, about Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya amounted to a death threat, saying they have been misinterpreted.
Party spokesman Sanjeewa Edirimanne said Kariyawasam’s comments should be considered in their entirety and read in the context of concerns about transparency, impartiality and fairness within the Police Department and its investigative processes.
Edirimanne argued it was unreasonable to suggest that Kariyawasam, a senior attorney with decades of legal experience, would publicly issue a death threat against the country’s most senior police officer at a media briefing attended by national media organisations.
Critics, he said, were isolating a single section of the statement while ignoring its broader context and intent. The remarks were focused solely on maintaining public confidence in the independence and impartiality of police investigations, according to Edirimanne.
The remarks at issue
At an SLPP headquarters briefing on August 3, Kariyawasam said three former Inspectors General of Police had faced unfortunate outcomes under the current administration, and urged Weerasooriya to serve the state and the people rather than the government.
He went on to say the party did not wish to see the current police chief become known in history as an Inspector General “beaten to death by people on the streets” — the phrase that triggered the controversy.
SLPP National Organiser Namal Rajapaksa defended the position in Parliament on August 4, arguing that previous police chiefs who acted in the interests of political parties had faced serious consequences, and cautioning against a similar situation arising for the incumbent. He said his remarks were a warning against political interference in policing and accused government MPs of misrepresenting the party.
Where the inquiry stands
The government has treated the statement as a serious matter. Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament on Wednesday that the Central Crimes Investigation Bureau had opened an investigation after receiving a complaint, and pledged protection for the IGP and officers serving under him.
Wijepala described the remarks as a threat to the rule of law and public order, and said they appeared to be a reaction to police investigations into bribery, corruption and the alleged misuse of public assets. The government ordered the inquiry on Tuesday.
Sources: NewsFirst.
