Special high courts, new laws to expedite crime cases: Minister

Colombo, August 28 (Daily Mirror) - Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said that the government is planning to establish special courts to expedite trials against organised criminals, in response to long delays and rising costs in the judicial process.

Speaking to the media, Minister Wijepala said the move comes amid growing concerns over the large amount of public funds required to detain and provide security for organised crime suspects during lengthy legal proceedings. He said that any legal action would be taken strictly within the existing legal framework, but special high courts are being proposed to accelerate the judicial process.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasuriya also addressed the matter, saying that existing laws are insufficient to deal with the complexities of organised crime.

He said the Sri Lanka Police, in coordination with the Justice Ministry, is working on drafting special legislation to effectively prosecute organised crime cases.

“The normal laws cannot handle these cases. We need a dedicated legal framework,” the IGP said.

The Minister and the IGP made these remarks at a media briefing held following the international operation in Jakarta, Indonesia, where six key Sri Lankan underworld figures were arrested in a joint mission involving the Sri Lanka Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Indonesian police.

Among those arrested were high-profile figures, including Kehelbaddara Padme, Commando Salinda, Panadura Nilanga, Thembili Lahiru, Backhoe Saman and his wife. The arrests were made following a week-long covert operation conducted by a special Sri Lankan team and Indonesian law enforcement agencies.