Youth abduction case: CoI has no powers to order AG

The Attorney General has informed the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) probing incidents of alleged political victimization during the previous Government that the CoI has no statutory or legal authority to order the AG to refrain from performing his statutory functions regarding the case into the abduction of 11 youths. 

AG's Coordinating Officer State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne said that following media reports with regard to the CoI ordering the AG to refrain from prosecuting the 11 youth abduction case, the AG informed the Commission in writing that it has no statutory or legal authority to order the AG from performing his statutory functions in the above case. 

The CoI had earlier stated that it had received complaints from Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda and Rear Admiral D.K.P. Dassanayake that they had been politically victimized in relation to the youth abduction case. Accordingly, the Commission issued an order to the AG to refrain from conducting prosecutions on the case until the CoI completed its probe into the complaints. 

The three-member CoI is chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice Upali Abeyratne and also includes retired High Court Judge Chandra Jayathilake and retired IGP Chandra Fernando.