Editorial

18th April 1999

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Story of cops and robbers

The country's legal machinery, the juggernaut of justice headed by Minister G L Peiris, is to be overhauled so drastically that Sri Lanka will be a peaceful Utopia in a few years. Or so we are told. The message was that crime already was on a downward spiral, thanks to a well oiled legal system and an efficient police force.

Well, everybody and that includes the Minister of Justice and the IGP, are certainly allowed their own mutual admiration society. But, while sophisticated DNA methods are being used to crack gruesome crimes and Bond-style sleuths are deployed to crack ransom investigations, there are yet other cases which have strangely escaped the Minister's juggernaut.

One such case is the celebrated uncracked case of Papua New Guinean ruggerite Joel Pera. Almost unnoticed, the news that all accused in this case had been discharged appeared in the newspapers a few weeks back.

Now, this was no crime that needed a sophisticated DNA specialist to have a crack at, for the simple reason that it was carried out in the presence of several witnesses. Ideally, it should have been an open and shut case, as Pera was gunned down in the full glare of the public, in a location that was by no means secluded.

But, it appears that those who can wield the correct kind of influence can still get away with murder despite the top cops and a system of justice that is touted to be streamlined.

The police and the Minister of Justice are in a self congratulatory mood, along with the Attorney General, that other worthy, in exactly these circumstances.

Probably, being self congratulatory and spirited help give out an impression that half the job is finished. If that is the going sentiment, we surely can sympathise with that.

But it's time for a reality check. If we could do that on behalf of the Minister and the police, maybe it needs be reminded that a bank manager revealed the fact that the currency notes used to make the ransom payment were in one series. The police logically followed up on that lead. It would have been good if the bank manager was given at least half the kudos that the police officers gave themselves.

There are miles to go before the police can put their feet up and feel smug about achievements. One person who could edify the police on that fact is the Deputy Inspector General of Police ( Crimes ) Mr. Kotakadeniya, who recently said that part of the problem in crime busting is related to the nexus between political bosses and crime czars.

The IGP when he was asked about this statement made by his own DIG Crimes, hemmed and hawed for a moment and allowed that "there may be some incidents''' but "we know when bail can be given'' (…when politicians make demands on behalf of criminals.)

The IGP is entitled to his answer, but we could rephrase the question and ask "if the DIG Crimes doesn't know best about crimes, then who exactly does?.''

Most unsolved cases in the unsolved crimes record books in the country relate to cases with some political connotations, and it can be reasonably surmised that politicians would have had some interest in suppressing the progress of these investigations. The futility of painting milk and honey scenarios in this backdrop need not be reiterated. It's time, on the other hand, that the idea of an independent police commission was reconsidered, in the backdrop of all the political influencing of the police that takes place. An Independent Police Commission may have been the UNP's idea, but should all ideas be rejected simply because they originated from the UNP's offices?

Political Column

Editorial/Opinion Contents