The Right to Information (RTI) Commission has decided to file a case against the Police in the relevant Magistrate’s Court over the Police Department's failure to comply with an order issued by the Commission concerning the non-provision of Police security to former Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Director, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shani Abeysekara.
Since the Police had not responded to a RTI request filed by Journalist Tharindu Iranga Jayawardhana seeking information regarding the non-provision of security to Abeysekara, he had filed an appeal with the Commission. After hearing the appeal, the Commission had concluded that the Police had violated the provisions of the RTI Act, No. 12 of 2016, and had ordered the Police to release the relevant information before 12 December 2022.
However, Jayawardhana, speaking to The Daily Morning, said that as the Police has not complied with the order, the Commission has decided to file a case in the relevant Magistrate’s Court. The Commission has therefore informed him to submit an affidavit to the effect that he has not yet been provided with the relevant information by the Police.
Through a RTI request dated 9 September 2022, Jayawardhana had requested the Police to provide him with copies of the letter issued by the National Authority for the Protection of Victims of Crimes and Witnesses informing the Police to provide Abeysekara with security, a letter sent by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana D. Wickramaratne to Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) – Western Province Deshabandu Tennakoon, and a letter sent to the IGP by SDIG Tennakoon regarding the same.
A number of parties have filed appeals with the Commission against the Police in the past few months, alleging that the Police was not responding to requests made under the RTI Act. Notable among them are the appeals filed regarding the non-provision of security to Abeysekara and the purchase and use of tear gas during the past few years. After hearings on many such appeals, the Commission issued orders against the Police and warned of legal action against the Police.