• Justice Ministry implements spl. prog. to prevent same

The Ministry of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms stated that a special programme has been implemented to prevent any irregularities in the Government Analyst's (GA) Department regarding drug samples handed over by the Police for testing purposes.

The GA's Department, the only forensic laboratory in Sri Lanka, consists of two major divisions, namely, Food Science, and Forensic Science, and is currently under the said Ministry.

During a media briefing held at the Ministry yesterday (30), The Daily Morning queried subject Minister, President’s Counsel Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe as to whether he had come to know about any instances where drug sample related irregularities had taken place at the GA's Department. In response, he said: "Yes. There had been one instance where two minor employees had taken some quantity of a drug sample some time back. I went to the Department and inspected it. Now, it is not possible for such irregularities to take place as all the drug samples are stored in lockers with three or four padlocks, and they are in highly secure zones. All the doors have been locked and they can only be opened in the presence of the relevant officials including the GA."

He also said that certain parties have raised doubts about the irregularities that may take place during the process of referring drug samples to the GA's Department for testing purposes. "There is another issue which needs to be addressed. That is that when drugs are apprehended by Police stations, their samples are sealed and sent to the GA's Department through a Police officer. Doubts have been raised by some parties that certain irregularities may take place during that process. We are looking into it," said Dr. Rajapakshe.

Speaking further on the reports of certain Police stations having reported drug related cases to courts falsely, and having referred samples of certain substances as drugs to the GA’s Department, when in fact they are not so, he said that he had sent a detailed letter to the Minister of Public Security, Tiran Alles, requesting that an investigation be carried out into such incidents. "We cannot just take this matter lightly. The GA's Department is spending about Rs. 20,000 for a sample test. It is a huge cost to the State. I have sent a letter to Alles in this regard. I hope to have discussions with the Police, the GA's Department and the Attorney General's Department to find solutions to this situation." Claiming that certain Police stations are violating laws pertaining to the possession of narcotics, Dr. Rajapakshe said recently that reports by the GA's Department have proven that certain drug related cases were being falsely reported to courts by certain Police stations. Against this backdrop, Alles, under whose purview the Police Department comes, said that he had requested Dr. Rajapakshe to provide him with detailed information on the matter.