President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has announced that the proposed detention period for suspects under the draft Prevention of Organised Crimes Bill will be reduced from 72 hours to 48 hours.
Speaking at an event organised under the “Ratama Ekata” national operation, the President said the government was prepared to reconsider certain provisions of the proposed legislation in response to concerns raised by various parties.
He also indicated that the provision relating to tattoos, which are used in some countries to identify members of organised criminal groups, could be removed if it was deemed unnecessary in the Sri Lankan context.
President Dissanayake stressed that he and his political movement had consistently opposed the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), noting that they had personally experienced the impact of repressive legislation.
He assured that the government had no intention of introducing legislation similar to the PTA under the pretext of combating organised crime.
However, he explained that the draft Prevention of Organised Crimes Bill had been presented to Parliament to address the legal requirements for effectively tackling organised criminal activities.
The President further reaffirmed the government's willingness to engage in discussions with human rights activists and other stakeholders to consider their concerns and recommendations regarding the proposed legislation.
