AG, President must take responsibility for withdrawing indictments against politicians: LNPP

Claiming that there were personal and political objectives behind the moves of the Attorney General to withdraw indictments filed against politicians, Lawyers for National Peoples' Power  (LNPP) said today the Attorney General and the President should take the responsibility over the withdrawals.

Attorney-at-law Sunil Watagala told a news conference that the AG could not withdraw indictments at his own will without a particular reason.

"Indictments are filed after a lengthy and formal process with the approval of the Attorney General. If such an indictment is withdrawn, there should be a special reason. A colossal amount of public fund is spent in the process of filing an indictment," he said.

He said the Government in its manifesto 'Vistas of prosperity' assured to ensure the policy of 'one country-one law' and added that however, the government was acting completely against it now.

Mr. Watagala said there was no basis for the AG to withdraw these cases and that it was questionable if the AG's Department was acting in this manner.

"The Chief Justice has signed these indictments as the then Attorney General. There is a big issue here. There are personal and political objectives behind these withdrawals. Indictments against ordinary people are not withdrawn. Only indictments of Rajapaksa family and their cronies' are being withdrawn," he charged.(Ajith Siriwardana)