CEA seeks ‘arrest powers’ for environmental crimes

• We need to empower our CEA officers with powers to arrest people without referring the cases to the police

By Piyumi Fonseka

The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) requested the Attorney General in writing for authority to be vested with it to arrest individuals harming the environment, an official said yesterday .  

CEA Chairman Siripala Amarasinghe told a press conference yesterday, his office had to engage the police to make such arrests regarding environmental crimes like deforestation.   

“We need to empower our CEA officers with powers to arrest people without referring the cases to the police. It will make the process faster and easier,” he said.