February 06, Colombo (LNW): Ahimsa Wickrematunge, the daughter of the late journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge, has demanded the impeachment of Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe, accusing him of serious misconduct and dereliction of duty in relation to the ongoing criminal case surrounding her father’s assassination.
In a strongly worded letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Wickrematunge raised significant concerns over the Attorney General’s recent decision to release three key suspects implicated in the murder.
She condemned Ranasinghe’s handling of the case, describing it as a stark example of neglect and abuse of power within the legal system.
Wickrematunge pointed out that between 2015 and 2019, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had meticulously gathered critical evidence, including the discovery of her father’s field notebook, which was essential in linking suspects to the crime.
Despite this, she claims that the Attorney General’s office failed to act on this vital evidence and allowed key witnesses to be dismissed without due consideration.
In her letter, she also alleged that Ranasinghe had fostered an atmosphere of indifference and incompetence within his department, undermining the efforts of the CID and ultimately jeopardising the pursuit of justice for her father’s murder.
Lasantha Wickrematunge was assassinated in a brazen daylight attack on January 8, 2009, near the high-security Ratmalana Air Force Base, and despite the attack taking place in a heavily monitored area, the identity of the perpetrators remains unknown.
The case lay dormant until the CID took over the investigation in 2015. During their inquiry, substantial evidence was uncovered, including the crucial field notebook belonging to Lasantha Wickrematunge, which contained significant leads.
However, it was revealed that Inspector Tissa Sugathapala, the officer initially in charge of the investigation, was allegedly instructed by Deputy Inspector General of Police Prasanna Nanayakkara to destroy this evidence, complicating the search for truth even further.
Ahimsa Wickrematunge has now accused Attorney General Ranasinghe of gross negligence if he was unaware of these developments, or gross abuse of power if he was aware and took no action. In either case, she argues that Ranasinghe is unfit to continue in his role.
The call for Ranasinghe’s impeachment has sparked further outrage, with Wickrematunge urging the government to take immediate steps to hold the Attorney General accountable for his actions.
She emphasised that, as the chief legal officer of the country, the Attorney General is not only accountable to the President but to Parliament and, most importantly, to the people of Sri Lanka.
Wickrematunge’s request for Ranasinghe’s impeachment highlights the deep frustration and growing distrust surrounding the handling of her father’s murder case, and the wider concerns regarding press freedom and the integrity of the justice system in Sri Lanka.
