Killing lawyer, his spouse Govt. beefs up security to lawyers, investigating officers

• Government to ensure security of the lawyers and investigating officers after assessing threats to their lives following intelligence reports  
• Government nor police made any statement regarding the murderers connected to the shooting soon after the incident
• Investigation was underway regarding the murdered lawyer and a statement had been recorded from him before the shooting 

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera   

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.