Chanaka Bandarage

In the olden days citizens were not allowed to file complaints with the CID. It was a sacred establishment that only investigated serious crimes.  The IGP would refer from countrywide Police Stations of serious, unsolved crimes – mostly murders, big time theft etc to the CID.

Basically, the CID was out of bounds for ordinary citizens. People were advised to lodge complaints with the Police station located in their Police division. I believe even today this is the case, but politicians excepted.

The CID used to have the best Police brains. Most of them received training at such prestigious places as the London Metropolitan Police Academy, Scotland Yard, All India Police, The Police Service of Pakistan (PSP), NYPD, AFP etc. Such luminaries like Tyrell Gunathileke, LMP (Lumpy) Silva, RC Thavarajah, SK Iyer, Edward Guanawardane come to mind.

Thanks to the CID, many major murder crimes were resolved. Eg: Turf Club, Kelethhawa, Adeline Vitharana, Pauline De Croos, Mathew Peiris etc.

Today we see politicians (*and sometimes other ‘prominent’ people) running like crazy to the CID with petty personal complaints. For them, CID has become a haven from public criticism.

Some of them  arrive at the CID with scores of media (print and electronic) and cameramen, Youtubers etc. These media people wait outside of the CID to interview the politician upon his/her lodgement of the complaint.

Most of these complaints are about the politician’s minor personal grievances – largely defamation. As they get a freehand to talk to the media, it is not incorrect to state that these politicians use the CID’s Complaint Lodgement Process to whitewash themselves. They could very well be the guilty party, but through the publicity they receive from the CID complaint, they try to attract public sympathy.

Also, through the CID complaint, they try to estop public discourse about any bad conduct alleged against them.

Freedom of communication is a right given to the public by the Constitution. By making a CID complaint, Politicians try to suppress this?

Does the CID investigate these complaints made by the politicians? Your guess is good as mine.

Running to the CID has become a pastime of the present-day politicians. The writer is not aware of incidents where this has happened under the previous governments (he may be wrong).

Chandrika, Mahinda, Gota and Ranil are the leaders who have faced worst communications against their reputation (both in libel and slander).

But, to their credit, they never ran to the CID like the current NPP lot. These past leaders stood tall against the brickbats thrown at them. Sometimes they initiated civil action against those who allegedly defamed them. That was the correct course of action to take.

Ranil, perhaps the most progressive Liberal Leader of our time, was instrumental in decriminalizing defamation. He did this in 2002. Until then, a two-year jail sentence was possible under the Penal Code.

As defamation is a civil offence, prima facie our Police seems to have no jurisdiction to investigate the same.  Thus, what the politicians currently do may amount to using power that they have to obtain an ulterior advantage. It could also be an abuse of power.

What they must do is to file law suits against the alleged perpetrators in civil law courts. This is what all other citizens presently do.

Of course there is the Online Safety Act 2023. This covers online misinformation, cyber bullying and defamation. Herein, perpetrators must have acted with intention to cause actual harm. The Defendant may argue truth as a defence.

But, CID should not be the forum to complain online offences.

There is so much work at CID’s hand. They are investigating the Easter Sunday bomb attack. Nearly 50 people have been gunned down by the underworld this year alone. Colombo    resembles a mini Chicago sometimes these days.

Wild Elephants are being killed by villagers unmercifully in large numbers. What is the government doing about this?

What about the Container Gate scandal?

The politicians must realise that by constantly lodging their petty complaints with the CID, they are depriving the CID from doing much more important work.

We hear sometimes that complaints have been lodged with the CID by the politicians’ lawyers. How can a 3^rd party lodge a Police complaint on behalf another? The aggrieved party must attend the applicable Police station and state their complaint, and provide the Police with a full statement of facts. The aggrieved person themself must sign the complaint and leave the Police station.

The politicians should behave like ordinary citizens. If they expect special treatment from the Police – like what is happening now, that is not good governance.

All our politicians, especially the 225, must be exemplary in character. We are a traditional society. People expect good, moral, decent behaviour from our leaders/politicians.

The politicians must realise that they are role models – they are looked to by others as examples to be imitated.  If they behave badly, the society that emulate them may also become bad. It will be very bad for our children. Worldwide, politicians who have misbehaved like engaging in illicit sexual affairs, extra-marital affairs,  anti-social behaviour, vulgar conduct have mostly been severely punished by the people at elections.

If they can’t behave honourably and decently, such politicians must quit politics.