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Video: More legal teeth to probe financial crimes: Rajitha

23 Jul 2015 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The UNP- led alliance today pledged to prioritize the enactment of legislation to deal with those involved in financial crimes and other wrongdoings under the regime of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, if it was elected to office.

Cabinet spokesman and Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne told the weekly news briefing that the only solution to the snail phased investigations and legal action against suspects who have allegedly committed financial crimes and misdeeds under the Rajapaksa regime was the setting up of a new legislative and legal administration system with enough legal teeth.

‘We must accept that our legal system and activities at the Attorney General’s Department are not up to a satisfactory speed. That is why it takes several years if not months to complete investigations and take legal action against prima-facie cases of financial crimes. The best example is that only a very small number of cases have been filed against suspects who have allegedly involved in financial crimes and corruptions under the Rajapaksa regime so far,” Minister Senaratne added.

He said there were nearly 7,000 complaints on various financial crimes and corruptions against politicians and officials of the last regime but only 52 of them have been probed up to now. The Financial Crimes Division (FCID) and the CID await the Attorney General’s observations to file charges against suspects but the process was slow and added the AG’s Department work with a limited number of staff as there were a large number of staff vacancies at the Department.

If the complaints received by the FCID, the CID other and law enforcement agencies in the last six months on financial crimes and corruptions reportedly committed during the last regime were investigated under the current system, it will take more than two decades minimum to complete and file charges against the suspects.

“That is why we need a legal and judicial system to inquire, file charges and conclude the court cases speedily. Therefore, a new legal and legislative procedure is the need of the hour and the new government would give priority to introduce necessary laws as early as possible and added that would also provide answers to the opposition charge that no one accused by the UNP for misdeeds and corruptions has been convicted so far,” he said.

Video by Sanath Desmond

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Video: More legal teeth to probe financial crimes: Rajitha

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