Sri Lanka to implement death penalty on drug traffickers

10 July 2018 05:51 pm

Minister of Buddhasasana Gamini Jayawickrama Perera said today the cabinet of Ministers had decided to Implement the death sentence for drug traffickers including those who were already being sentenced to death in prisons.

Speaking to the Media at the Ministry of Buddhasasana, he said the decision of implementing the death sentence could have been carried out during the past fifteen years.

The cabinet of ministers had taken this collective decision considering the recent deaths and a large amount of drug imports planned by the drug traffickers who were already in the prison custody and sentenced to death.

With the cheers of the cabinet ministers, President Maithripala Sirisena had instructed Justice and Prison Reforms Minister Thalatha Atukorale to prepare the draft bill to implement the death sentence.

“As the Ministry of Buddhasasana, I never take decisions on my own. My Chief advisers are Mahanayakas, Anunayakas and Lekakadhikari Theras including the Maha Sangha,” he said.

All the Maha Sangas had agreed to the decision taken by the Cabinet Ministers. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)