7/24/2019 Is Avant Garde Probe Turning to Be a Witch-hunt

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/is-avant-garde-probe-turning-to-be-a-witch-hunt 1/5

Is Avant Garde probe turning to be awitch-hunt?

2015-11-16

aw and Order

Minister Tia! Marapana resigned astwee! a"ter an uproar in the #abinet$over his perceived puss%"ooting on

the ongoing investigation into the &oating ar'our% o" the Avant GardeMariti'e (ervice )i'ited *AGM()+,

Mr, Marapanas on% .o/ence$ it appears$ that he earier tod aria'entthat the considered opinion o" the Attorne% Genera was that there was noconsiderabe and ad'issibe evidence to institute a ega case against theweapons that were "ound in the ship$ M Mahanuwara during a poice raid,

 The doc!ed ship was raided at the Gae arbour soon a"ter the residentiaeection in 3anuar% this %ear, *)ast 'onth$ a second ship$ M Avant Gardewas raided when it returned to the Gae arbour a"ter a vo%age in the 4edsea+

Mr, Marapana who hi'se" was a "or'er Attorne% Genera and eadingaw%er stood b% the AGs depart'ent$ whie so'e o" the boisterous'e'bers o" his #abinet and severa others outside appeared to suggest

7/24/2019 Is Avant Garde Probe Turning to Be a Witch-hunt

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/is-avant-garde-probe-turning-to-be-a-witch-hunt 2/5

that the AG shoud cater to their whi's and "ancies,

It was not Mr, Marapana$ but his opponents$ who were inter"ering with thecase and b% their action$ tr%ing to in&uence the AGs depart'ent,

ow$ e'bodened b% their .success$ those ver% individuas want 3ustice

Minister i7e%adasa 4a7apa!she re'oved$ again because the atter too hadstood b% the AGs depart'ent,

A rather interesting spectace o" washing dirt% aundr% in pubic is nowta!ing pace as the govern'ent 'inisters 4a7itha (enaratne$ i7e%adasa4a7apa!she and "or'er Ar'% #hie" 8ied Marsha (arath 8onse!a trade&i's% aegations with each other,

owever$ the 'ost disturbing o" a$ was a reported atte'pt to su''on the

Attorne% Genera be"ore aria'ent to e9pain wh% his depart'ent decidednot to institute a ega case against the weapons "ound in the Avant Gardes&oating ar'our%,

AGM() was invoved in a 7oint venture with the "u% state-owned 4a!naAra!sha!a )an!a )i'ited *4A))+ to provide weapons and sea 'arshas "orthe ships against 'ariti'e pirac%,

7/24/2019 Is Avant Garde Probe Turning to Be a Witch-hunt

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/is-avant-garde-probe-turning-to-be-a-witch-hunt 3/5

 The AGs depart'ent$ a"ter considering evidence sub'itted b% the #I: andobservations 'ade b% the :e"ence Ministr% and (ri )an!a av%$ hasdecided that there was no ground to ta!e ega action against the AGM()under the 8ire Ar's Ordinance$ ;9posive Act or the revention o" Terroris'Act, #I: has been advised to sub'it an% evidence o" corruption reated tothe 'anage'ent o" the co'pan% to the #o''ission to Investigate

Aegations o" <riber% or #orruption, A separate probe into aegedcorruption and 'one% aundering is now being underta!en b% the <riber%#o''ission,

AGM() was providing private 'ariti'e co'panies with weapons$ whichwere issued to it b% the 4A)), Those weapons were to provide securit% toships against 'ariti'e pirac%, (ri )an!an av% provided the service unti2012$ unti it handed the business to AGM(),ow the govern'ent has decided to revo!e the 'onopo% o" the AGM(),

 The av% has ta!en over the provision o" weapons to private 'ariti'e

securit% co'panies, =nder govern'ent orders$ 4A)) has decided todiscontinue its engage'ent in 'ariti'e securit%,rivate Miitar% #o'panies *M#+$ a 'uti-biion doar industr% wordwide$are not new to (ri )an!a, In the >0s$ when 'uch o" the word shunned usa"ter the <ac! 3u%$ (outh A"rican M#s trained so'e speciaied units o"the ar'%, Mariti'e securit% @r's have recent% beco'e a thriving industr%as despondent (o'aies 'a!e sea pirac% a 'uti-'iion doar business,

I" the AGM() and an% govern'ent oBcias have &outed the aw$it needs to be investigated, owever$ the Attorne% Genera has

decided that there were no ad'issibe grounds "or ega action,=nder the nor'a circu'stance$ the controvers% which hasbeco'e an e'barrass'ent "or the new govern'ent woud havebeen aid to rest,I" the AGM() and an% govern'ent oBciashave &outed the aw$ it needs to beinvestigated, owever$ the Attorne%Genera has decided that there were noad'issibe grounds "or ega action, =nder

the nor'a circu'stance$ the controvers%which has beco'e an e'barrass'ent "orthe new govern'ent woud have been aidto rest,

owever$ this case is an e9ception due tothe invove'ent o" one 'anC Gotabha%a4a7apa!sa,

7/24/2019 Is Avant Garde Probe Turning to Be a Witch-hunt

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/is-avant-garde-probe-turning-to-be-a-witch-hunt 4/5

A "ew o" his opponents want to hound hi' - no 'atter the ega grounds "orsuch an action,

 There"ore$ 'utua recri'ination within the govern'ent ran!s over theAvant Garde probe is not 7ust a power ga'e a'ong a "ew poiticos, It is nowbeco'ing a witch-hunt$ which threatens to under'ine the independence o"institutions that the govern'ent pedged to "oster$ one o" which being the

 7udiciar%,

)ast wee!$ the <ar Association o" (ri )an!a raised concerns over what itdescribed as Da spate o" and growing vii@cation and persona attac!sE onthe 'e'bers o" the 7udiciar% and Attorne% Generas :epart'ent$ and theatte'pts to su''on the AG be"ore aria'ent,

(ri )an!an poitics is cheap, It has not changed 'uch under the Fahapaanagovern'ent, The danger is that so'e poiticians$ in the govern'ent$ in theopposition and outside aria'ent$ tend to thin! that the Attorne% Genera

shoud !ow-tow to the',

 Their atte'pts to vii"% independent institutions and their oBce hodersbode i "or the "uture o" our de'ocrac%, In "act$ we shoud ceebrate thenew "ound sense o" independence in our 7udiciar%, That the 7udiciar% nowrues b% the aw$ and not b% the dictates o" the se"-interested poiticos is anad'irabe sign,

A rather interesting spectace o" washing dirt% aundr% in pubic

is now ta!ing pace as the govern'ent 'inisters 4a7itha(enaratne$ i7e%adasa 4a7apa!she and "or'er Ar'% #hie" 8iedMarsha (arath 8onse!a trade &i's% aegations with each other,

 There"ore$ the top eaders o" the govern'ent have a responsibiit% to rein intheir own ran!s, The greatest "eat o" the new govern'ent$ so "ar$ has beenresurrecting independent institutions, Its eaders shoud not aow its ran!sto ro bac! that process, The integrit% o" those institutions shoud not bewea!ened to achieve pett% poitica and persona ends, It was not ong agothat a #hie" 3ustice was i'peached because she re"used to issue ruings in"avour o" the regi'e o" Mahinda 4a7apa!sa, (o'e o" the recent critics o"the 7udiciar% and AGs depart'ent$ in "act$ paced their signatures in thatin"a'ous i'peach'ent 'otion - though 'an% o" the' regret it now, (o'eo" the'$ 'a% have a ow estee' towards those independent organs o" the(tate, Their re'ar!s betra% those senti'ents,

O" course$ the pubic e9pect the govern'ent to investigate aegations o"

7/24/2019 Is Avant Garde Probe Turning to Be a Witch-hunt

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/is-avant-garde-probe-turning-to-be-a-witch-hunt 5/5

corruption$ e9cesses and abuses o" power ba'ed on the previous regi'e,owever$ that shoud be done through the due process o" aw$ and notthrough !angaroo courts or b% in&uencing the 7udiciar% and otherindependent institutions,A"ter a$ i" we need Hangaroo courts$ we coud we have !ept the "or'erregi'e in power, It was prett% good at it, e shoud ceebrate the new

"ound independence o" the 7udiciar% and te the se"-interested na%sa%ersto be uietJ

Follow Ranga Jayasuriya @ Ranga Jayasuriya on Twitter

Posted by Thavam