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We say congratulation and thank you to the PA government for removing a bad piece of UNP legislation, though it came three years late and shows how selective the PA leaders are in implementing even the few election pledges they seem to be interested in implementing.
As much as we thank Media Minister Managala Samaraweera for small mercies, we must say, going by his speech in parliament that he was probably in another world — if not at fashionable Carnaby Street in London, when that virtually extra-judicial law was passed in 1978. He asked why journalists who are critical of the government today, did not challenge the UNP then.
He should have gone to the Archives and read the newspapers of the day. At that time Independent Newspapers Ltd., courted contempt when eminent lawyer S. Nadesan QC wrote a series of articles condemning the Act. But never mind, we agree with Mr. Samaraweera—let there be a bipartisan approach to media policy in this country.
We hope we will never again have a situation where parliament — sitting as complainant, prosecutor, jury and judge — will have a virtual a trial by a mob.
When two senior journalists were hauled up before parliament in 1978 and given instant justice, the then opposition leader Appapillai Amirthalingam had cautioned MPs against acting like some children showing off their new clothes.
We welcome the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee to study and review media laws and regulations. The composition of the committee shows that all parties have understood the importance of the exercise and nominated an impressive list of members. We hope the deliberations will not get bogged down in polemics of party or personal interests, but will as the Media Minister quite rightly says “stand the test of time.”
Despite assurances by the President it appears that the Customs inquiry on a major fraud allegedly involving a company run by a magnate close to the PA has come to a temporary halt. The inquiry now seems to be on the Customs inquiring officer.
The about-turn in the Customs probe came after high-ups in the company met high-ups in the government.
The allegation is that the company has been defrauding the state, that means the poor people of this country, to the tune of tens of millions. The company denies this.
The company has complained that gung-ho tactics had been used. The Customs denies this now. None other than the president has intervened to ask the Customs to act according to the law.
Nobody can complain when the customs is asked to act according to the law. But, accompanying the official statement is the uncontradicted story that the Customs investigator who raided the company has been pulled out of the probe which the Customs say they did anyway.
The chairman of that company was recently appointed by President Kumaratunga as chairman of the national carrier AirLanka. The public will therefore be closely watching the developments of this investigation.
It will be in the best interests of all concerned- the Govt., the company and its chairman and most important of all the general public of this country- that the country be kept informed of the probe.
Otherwise the people could turn round and say ‘though all are equal before the law’ its just that some are more equal before the law if they have links in high places.
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