Addressing a media briefing, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayathissa responded to questions regarding the delays in filing cases and concluding investigations. He acknowledged that the current administration is navigating a landscape where critical evidence has been erased and witnesses have been compromised.
Minister Jayathissa explained that the delays are not due to inaction but are a direct result of the systematic dismantling of the justice mechanism by previous regimes.
"You asked why some case files are delayed. As you are aware, in some instances, evidence has been destroyed, and witnesses have been eliminated," the Minister stated. He further revealed that officers who were diligently investigating crimes were transferred to remote locations or created an environment where they could no longer remain in the country.
Highlighting the extent of the obstruction, the Minister pointed out that officials who led these criminal investigations were themselves punished.
"Officers like Shani Abeysekara, who investigated crimes, were punished by those governments; some were even remanded," he noted.
Despite these setbacks, Minister Jayathissa affirmed that the government has not abandoned these investigations. He stated that current investigators are working to uncover alternative sources of evidence to build watertight cases.
"Just because evidence was destroyed, it does not mean we are abandoning these investigations. Our criminal investigators are striving to find evidence through other means," he assured.
The Minister emphasized that while there are reasonable grounds for the delays, the government is currently gathering all necessary evidence to proceed with legal action, ensuring that no perpetrator is shielded from the law.
