The Attorney General’s Department says it is reviewing the Criminal Investigation Department’s completed file on former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s 2023 visit to the United Kingdom, as questions mount over why indictments have not been filed nearly four months after a magistrate said there was sufficient evidence.
Investigators allege the trip was a private visit undertaken at a cost of Rs. 16.6 million to the public purse. Legal proceedings were initiated against Wickremesinghe and his then Secretary, Saman Ekanayake, both of whom are currently out on bail.
The invitation question
A key argument advanced by Wickremesinghe’s side has been that the visit was official rather than private.
NewsFirst reported that records published by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, listing foreign leaders who made official visits during the relevant period, carry no indication that Wickremesinghe travelled to the UK as a head of state on a diplomatic or official invitation. He was in the UK on September 22 and 23, 2023.
Social and political activist Oshala Herath handed the records and supporting documents to the CID on Monday, the broadcaster said.
The court timeline
When the case was taken up before Colombo Fort Magistrate Isuru Neththikumara on April 29, the court said there was sufficient basis to file indictments against the first suspect and pressed for action.
“Generally, when criminal investigations are delayed, the value of those investigations is diminished,” the magistrate said. “That is why the court continues to inquire about the filing of indictments against the suspects.”
When the case was revisited on July 8, the CID told court that investigations were complete and the relevant extracts had been forwarded to the Attorney General. Senior State Counsel Samadari Piyasena requested a date to convey the Attorney General’s position, and the court fixed September 30 as the next hearing.
Criticism and the government’s answer
At a media briefing on Tuesday, People’s Tomorrow Chairman Attorney-at-Law Manoj Nanayakkara said CID investigators had travelled to the UK, gathered the information and submitted a report recommending that proceedings could go ahead. He said Senior Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, who appeared in the case, had also made recommendations to the Attorney General.
Nanayakkara questioned why the file had remained with the department for several months despite requests to file indictments and consider a Trial-at-Bar, and argued that a public perception of affinity between the Attorney General and the former President could undermine confidence in the department.
Responding to a NewsFirst inquiry, the Attorney General’s Department said the CID had completed its investigations and submitted the relevant extracts, that the material is under review, and that further action will be taken expeditiously.
Asked about the delay at Tuesday’s Cabinet media briefing, Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa pointed to capacity constraints. “It is true that one of the practical issues affecting the speed of legal proceedings is delays in obtaining reports from the Attorney General’s Department. That is a challenge we have experienced in practice,” he said, adding that facilities were being improved and recruitment needed to be accelerated.
“Given the large number of cases currently before it, the Department does not have sufficient resources or personnel,” Jayatissa said. “Reforms are already underway to address those shortcomings.”
NewsFirst renders the Senior Additional Solicitor General’s name as “Dilip Peiris”; this site uses the form “Dileepa Peiris” carried by other outlets.
