• Says there was a general discussion, rubbishes FR block claim 

The Ministry of Public Security has refuted media reports that the Attorney General’s (AG) Department is going to issue a series of guidelines to the Police Department to prevent the filing of fundamental rights (FR) petitions against it.

It was recently reported by the media that the AG’s Department is to issue a set of guidelines to the Police which would help it avoid having to face FR cases.

When contacted by The Daily Morning, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles said they (Ministry and Police) had had a discussion with the AG’s Department to discuss certain matters involving the Police, but that it was not particularly about FR-related cases. “It was a general discussion that we had with the AG’s Department. We have had several such discussions in the past too. “When asked about the reports that the AG’s Department is to issue some guidelines to the Police on preventing FR’s being filed, he stated: “It is wrong. Nothing such was discussed. How can the AG’s Department or Police prevent FR cases?”

Police Media Spokesperson, Deputy Inspector General of Police and attorney Nihal Thalduwa was not available for comment.

The related media reports stated that the discussion in question had focused on improving the coordination between the AG’s Department and the Police. According to them, Additional Solicitor General Haripriya Jayasundara has been appointed to coordinate with the Criminal Investigations Department and the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID), while Senior Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris has been appointed to coordinate with the Police stations.

Over the past, there have been several incidents of civilians and rights organisations filing Fundamental Rights petitions against the Police before the Supreme Court (SC), and the Police having to compensate such petitioners in relation to the petitions. Concluding the hearing of one such petition, the SC recently held that the three Police officers including incumbent Acting Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon have violated the FRs of a person by illegally arresting and detaining him in 2011. The relevant respondents were ordered to pay Rs. 500,000 each to the victim as compensation.