Video: FCID akin to actions in Hitler era: MR

7 May 2015 01:16 pm

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said that the mechanism of the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID), is akin to that of the ‘era of Hitler’.

“The Prime Minister cannot take the role of the IGP and give orders. The Prime Minister is answerable to Parliament. The Cabinet Sub-Committee has taken over Police power. The Gazette has taken a different turn to what was intended,” he told journalists outside the Welikada Prison.

Rajapaksa visited former Minister Johnston Fernando, who is currently in remand prison over charges under the Public Property Act.

Rajapaksa said that the actions of the ‘FCID’ were spoken of during the meeting between him and President Maithripala.

“This is political revenge and nothing else. These are civil cases. The CWE is a Corporation and its dealings don’t fall under the Public Properties act. Besides, it’s a commercial entity and giving goods on credit is a usual practice. If there is an issue, it should fall under a civil action, as opposed to a criminal one,” he said.

He said that even the offenses that his brother former Minister Basil Rajapaksa is charged with fall under the same category of ‘civil offences’.
Rajapaksa has visited all his allies, who were in remand custody following his defeat in the concluded Presidential election and has been defiant in rejecting allegations of financial misappropriation and fraud. (Text and Video by Sanath Desmond)
 



Pix by Pradeep Pathirana