A recent Chilaw High Court ruling linked to former Ports Authority chairman Sanath Nishantha’s brother is being held up by lawyers aligned with the National People’s Power as evidence that politically backed intimidation of public servants is no longer tolerated.
President’s Counsel Upul Kumarapperuma and attorney Akalanka Ukwatta addressed a media briefing at the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna headquarters in Battaramulla on Monday, framing the verdict as a moment that reinforces the rule of law and the equal application of the law to all citizens.
Ukwatta said politically backed acts of intimidation and violence had once been frequent, with public officials including Grama Niladharis, Samurdhi officers, teachers and principals subjected to pressure and attacks. The Chilaw case, he said, dated back to a 2008 incident in which political influence was used to interfere with officials carrying out legal duties related to state land and timber investigations. The Attorney General had later filed action under the Penal Code.
The case is connected to the conviction of Jagath Samantha, brother of former Ports Authority chairman Sanath Nishantha, who was sentenced earlier in May 2026.
Kumarapperuma and Ukwatta argued that the ruling would strengthen confidence among state officials and reinforce the principle that public servants can perform their duties without unlawful political interference. Ukwatta also noted that institutions such as the Criminal Investigation Department and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption routinely summon individuals for information gathering, and that cooperation with such processes supports the rule of law.
The lawyers said judicial processes under the current administration would provide protection to those acting within the law.
