Govt. beefs up security to lawyers, investigating officers

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera

Colombo, Feb. 18 (Daily Mirror) - In the wake of lawyers urging the government to ensure their security in dispensing their professional duties, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said yesterday the government will take steps to ensure security of lawyers and investigating officers after assessing threats to their lives based on intelligence reports.

The Minister told Parliament that steps have been taken to provide security to judges who could be under threat of the criminals adding that security has been provided to officers of the Attorney General's Department based on threat assessment on them following intelligence reports.

Responding to a question raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, the Minister said the murder has no impact on dispensing professional duties of the legal fraternity adding that any lawyer can appear for any suspect. "It is the right ensured by the Constitution," he said.

The Minister said the murder of the lawyer and his wife is an isolated incident and that the particular incident poses no threat to national security.

He also said though the shootings are isolated incidents, an investigation has been launched to ascertain whether the isolated incidents are interconnected and whether there are any political links behind those incidents.

"Move is underway to convince the public that the murder has created a special situation, risking national security," he said.

The Minister revealed that an investigation was underway regarding the murdered lawyer and a statement had been recorded from him before the shooting took place.

He said neither the government nor the police made any statement regarding the murderers connected to the shooting of the lawyer and his wife soon after the incident.

The Minister told Parliament that 12 police teams including the CID, STF, CCD and CIB have launched investigations into the murder adding that two suspects have been arrested for aiding and abetting the murder.

He said some information has been received into the murder and that investigations are being conducted to arrest the suspects soon.

The Minister refuted claims that the shooting of the lawyer and his wife has taken place in a high security zone and pointed out that the security forces have confirmed that the particular area has not been declared as a high security zone.