{"id":220254,"date":"2021-06-24T23:12:19","date_gmt":"2021-06-24T17:42:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=220254"},"modified":"2021-06-25T00:10:09","modified_gmt":"2021-06-24T18:40:09","slug":"gota-has-demonstrated-patter-of-rewarding-murderers-thalatha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/gota-has-demonstrated-patter-of-rewarding-murderers-thalatha\/","title":{"rendered":"Gota Has Demonstrated Pattern Of Rewarding Murderers: Thalatha"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gotabaya Rajapaksa\u2019s regime has demonstrated a pattern of rewarding murderers and providing those found guilty of the most serious crimes with presidential protection, former Justice Minister Thalatha Athukorale<\/a><\/span> said in a statement condemning the release of murder convict on death row, Duminda Silva<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Athukorale said that while the pardon might have shocked those who trusted the Government, it comes as no surprise to those who knew their attitude towards \u201cprotecting\u201d murderers.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuminda Silva\u2019s death sentence was unanimously upheld by a bench of five Supreme Court Justices. Beginning with the pardon of child killer Sunil Ratnayake, this regime has demonstrated a pattern of rewarding murderers while punishing police officers who have the courage to investigate murders committed by powerful or politically connected people,\u201d Athukorale noted in a hard-hitting statement.<\/p>\n

She said that last week, in in granting bail to former CID Director SSP Shani Abeysekar<\/a>a<\/span>, the Court of Appeal found that the government fabricated false evidence and false statements and used draconian laws without a shred of evidence to punish independent professional police officers who refuse to bow to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, those found guilty of the most serious crimes in our law enjoy presidential protection while the judges and police officers who brought them to justice have targets on their backs,\u201d the former Justice Minister charged.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf any harm were to befall them, this government will be held entirely responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa\u2019s decision to pardon murderer Duminda Silva has been a long time coming. The Government has come in for swift condemnation from all quarters, domestically and internationally for undermining the rule of law with Silva\u2019s release.<\/p>\n

\n

We welcome the early release of PTA prisoners, but the pardon of Duminda Silva, whose conviction the Supreme Court upheld in 2018, undermines rule of law. Accountability and equal access to justice are fundamental to the UN SDGs to which the GoSL has committed.<\/p>\n

— Ambassador Teplitz (@USAmbSLM) June 24, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n