CAN RANIL BE STILL PROSECUTED? YES IT CAN! CLARIFICATION ON INTERPRETATION BY ARUNA LAKSIRI UNAWATUNA, ATTORNEY-AT-LAW ,
Posted on April 6th, 2018
By M D P DISSANAYAKE
Reading the Constitution in its totality and in conjunction with the fundamental rights of members of parliament, the Chapter III (6) on FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS states: ” No person shall be held guilty of an offence on account of any act or omission which did not, at the time of such act or omission, constitute such an offence and no penalty shall be imposed for any offence more severe than the penalty in force at the time such offence was committed. “
In the continuation para of the same Chapter III (6) explicitly exclude any misrepresentation of the first part of the Chapter III (6) by providing a specific interpretation, which states : Nothing in this Article shall prejudice the trial and punishment of any person for any act or omission which, at the time when it was committed, was criminal according to the general principles of law recognized by the community of nations.”
Therefore, to institute legal actions against Mr Ranil Wickremasinghe by a future government, is still wide open.
April 6th, 2018 at 6:38 pm
This only applies to international conventions Sri Lanka has entered into. Sepala Ekanayaka is a classic example. He was punished for a crime that was not criminal by Sri Lankan law at that time. But Sri Lanka had entered into international air traffic conventions and under those obligations Sri Lanka was held accountable to do so.
There are enough crimes Ranil has committed (Batalanda, LH Plantations, CFA) to frame him. But he was not punished for political reasons. And in turn Ranil doesn’t punish Rajapaksas. All are winners at the end of the day. Only the nation loses.
While accepting the fact that SLMC, ACMC, LTTE, Rajitha and Mangala were instrumental in saving Ranil, it must not be forgotten that all of them were with Mahinda in the not so distant past. Mahinda relied on SLMC to pass 18A. After that SLMC leader was given the ministry of justice. I condemned it then when no one raised a voice. bathurdeen was given the Wilpattu Ministry, Rajitha fisheries ministry making him a shipping tycoon and in 2005 Mangala the foreign ministry! In place of Sampanthan was KP (LTTE leader after VP).
This is the very sad plight of the Sinhala nation most of us fail to see because of political affiliations and for the severe lack of real patriotism.
As Sir John Kotalawala noted in 1956, only the backsides have changed not those who lick them! ACMC, SLMC, LTTE, Mangala and Rajitha never changed. Who changed?
April 7th, 2018 at 1:53 am
Yes he can be prosecuted and should be prosecuted because he has robbed our money so the people in this country must prosecute this bank robber in the coming general election or in the presidential election first and then by the court and put him behind bars for life. No one can deny his involvement in this case. He is guilty as ever and should face the music. Sinhala buddhist population must unite to send this evil regime to hell. They are enemies of the sinhala buddhists. Para suddas and the Indian parasites will take over our Motherland if we do not act soon. Be a lion and help to save our motherland.
April 7th, 2018 at 4:22 am
It is not a relevant issue.
W hawe have failed to prosecute Arjuna Mahendran and recover the loot yet
April 7th, 2018 at 6:44 am
Politics is politics, whoever is in power.
The Game is to win through, with honour intact.
What matters is :
Are the people in power working for the People of the Country, with loyalty & PATRIOTISM.
Or, are they working with a sense of revenge/anger, for outside forces ?
Let us choose wisely to which camp each of these present day leaders belong ….. and keep them or boot them out !
April 7th, 2018 at 8:55 pm
On December 23, 1975 Sirima won the no confidence motion against her with over 50 votes (more than Ranil’s 46) only to lose on July 23, 1977 as never before. This is the fate that awaits UNP.
If history repeats, UNP will be ferociously defeated on November 2, 2019.
Pro-Ranil parties voted only 35% on February 10 election whereas anti-Ranil parties voted 56% (with a faction of the SLFP). How disconnected our parliament is from ground realities in both 1975 and 2018!