Humanitarian agency chief kills girl; claims diplomatic immunity

By Asif Fuard

The Cinnamon Gardens Police is in consultation with the Attorney General’s Department to look into the possibility of taking action against the Chief of Mission of the International Organisation of Migration (IOM) Christopher Gascon who claimed diplomatic immunity following a motor vehicle accident which claimed the life of a young girl.

Mr. Gascon who was asked to come for a medical examination by the police to ascertain if the IOM chief was under the influence of liquor refused to take part in the examination and had got away by using his diplomatic immunity.

Cinnamon Gardens Police OIC Chief Inspector S. Keerthipala told The Sunday Times Mr. Gascon who avoided the medical examination later had given a statement to the police after being represented by a lawyer.

“We are now filing a report to try Mr. Gascon under Sri Lanka law. In a situation such as this the driver of the vehicle is usually arrested and produced before a magistrate,” he said. “A medical examination is necessary to find out if the driver is under the influence of alcohol. But in this case such examination could not be done because he was a diplomat. The law should be equal to all and it should not be handled according to the whims and fancies of diplomats who hide behind diplomatic immunity after committing an offence. The Foreign Ministry has been informed of this,” he said.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson told The Sunday Times that IOM headquarters has been informed about the matter and the Ministry is awaiting a response. The Sunday Times learns that a person possessing diplomatic immunity could be tried in the local courts, only if that person is stripped of his immunity following international protocol.

The 21 year-old-girl was a reporter for the pro-JVP V FM radio. She was reporting for duty at HNB Towers in Colombo 2 was on her way to work for the morning shift at around 5 a.m on December 6 when Mr. Gascon who was driving his blue Audi car hit her van on the side, at the Horton Place - Kynsey road junction.

She was thrown out of the van which toppled over. The driver and the girl’s colleague who was going to work with her were also injured. The colleague who was travelling in the van with the girl told The Sunday Times that once he and the driver got out of the van he saw Mr. Gascon and another gentleman who was with him getting down from their car and looking at what happened.

“Prasadini was thrown out. Before I could ask them for a lift to take my colleague to hospital, they got into their vehicle and drove off. I then stopped a vehicle by the way side and we rushed to the Accident Ward,” he said.

“The least the driver of the car could have done is to take us to hospital. Such types of humanitarian workers are not suitable for their post as they lack basic human instincts to help a person who is injured and helpless,” he said.

Prasadini who is the eldest in her family of three died in the early hours of Tuesday.
When The Sunday Times contacted the IOM office Mr. Gascon was unavailable for comment.