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BASL wants security for its head
View(s):Police protection given to one lawyer under threat
By Wasantha Ramanayake
In the wake of the shooting incident outside the residence of Bar Association (BASL) President Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, the BASL Executive Committee had called upon the authorities to provide him adequate security.
In an emergency meeting held on Friday evening the Executive-Committee unreservedly deplored and condemned the ‘cowardly and despicable act’ BASL secretary Sanjaya Gamage said.
The Ex-Committee also demanded the authorities to conduct an impartial and expeditious investigation to arrest the suspect who intimidated Attorney-at-Law Gunaratne Wanninayake at gun point on December 17, and bring all perpetrators before the law.
Mr. Gamage said that the BASL Ex-Committee was shocked and dismayed on hearing that gun shots have been fired at the residence of Bar Association President Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe during the early hours of Thursday.
Lawyers protest attack on Attorney-at-Law Wanninayaka on Thursday
The Executive Committee urge also urged the authorities concerned to ensure the safety and security of its members.
Shots have been fired at the residence of Mr. Rajapakshe in Nawala during the early hours of Thursday. Mr. Rajapakshe said that the investigations are being done and he hoped the Police would arrest the suspects.
However, he said that it is too early to draw conclusions on the reasons for the attack.
Attorney-at-Law Wanninayaka was in his jeep stopped outside his residence at Pirivena Road, Boralesgamuwa around 5 p.m. on Monday. While he was waiting for his gate to be opened, a man who got off a van, walked up to his vehicle and had threatened him at gunpoint.
There have been no such threats before because he does not have any enemies professionally or otherwise, he confessed.
I am against the impeachment of the Chief Justice and that should be the reason for the threat. The reason is obvious because the Bar Association President’s house too came under attack, he said. It was a cowardly attempt to silence the activist who actively engaged in to safeguard the independence of the Judiciary, he added.
Lawyers hold a protest march on Friday against the shooting incident at Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe’s residence. Pix by Indika Handuwala
Police protection has been provided to his house, Mr. Wanninayaka said. Two policemen have been provided for security at night and one at daytime. Boralesgamuwa Police and the Colombo Crime Division are conducting investigations.
He said it was still too early to say whether the investigations carried out are satisfactory or not.
“May be the Police need couple of days more,” he said. He was of the view that the attackers wanted to do some serious bodily harm but was prevented as the crowed gathered hearing his shouts. “Had they wanted they could have shot me dead,” he said.
However, he said he considered the threat to be quite serious.Attorney-at-Law and TNA Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran said the security provided to his house was withdrawn on Thursday morning for reasons unknown to him.
However, the security was restored in the afternoon after he had made a complaint to the local Police, he added.
Meanwhile a large number of lawyers staged a protest near the Superior Courts Complex, Hulftsdorp, denouncing the shooting incident near Mr. Rajapakshe’s residence.
Addressing the gathering after the protest President’s Counsel Manohara de Silva condemned the attack on the BASL President’s house.
He referred to the attack as an act of cowardice and called for the lawyers to be united. “Irrespective of political or other differences as lawyers we should stand together whenever a lawyer comes under attack,” the President’s Counsel noted.
Senior lawyer complains of threat by a DIG and others
Senior lawyer Upul Jayasuriya on Friday complained to the Inspector General of Police that a DIG and military officers were to carry out a threat to his life due to his initiative in calling for a meeting of the BASL to discuss the impeachment of the Chief Justice.
In his complaint to the IGP, Mr. Jayasuriya says that attacks have already been carried out against BASL President Wijayadasa Rajapaksha and Attorney at Law Gunaratne Wanninayake and that he had reasonable fears for his life as well.
He has asked that any police protection that may be offered should be done in consultation with him. Mr. Jayasuriya has also briefed Attorney General Palitha Fernando on these threats.
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