Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe has directed Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasuriya to investigate how a confidential letter sent to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was leaked to external parties before being presented in court.
The letter in question instructed the CID to halt the implementation of an earlier directive that called for the release of three suspects arrested in connection with the abduction of Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickramatunga’s driver and the destruction of related evidence.
The Attorney General’s Department has launched an investigation amid concerns that the document was deliberately leaked to discredit the institution. According to reports from The Sunday Times, the Attorney General has already communicated his concerns to the Acting IGP via telephone, with an official letter set to follow tomorrow.
On January 27, the Attorney General had recommended the release of the three suspects who were brought before the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court, citing insufficient evidence for legal action. However, this recommendation sparked widespread controversy, leading to a meeting between Attorney General Ranasinghe and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. During this discussion, the Attorney General reiterated his stance but clarified that charges could be refiled should new evidence emerge.
Subsequently, last Monday, the CID submitted three files containing additional case-related information to the Attorney General’s Department. The following day, the CID formally requested an extension to act on the Attorney General’s initial directive, citing the sensitive nature of the case and the public debate surrounding it.
In response, a letter signed by Senior Additional Solicitor General Rohantha Abeysuriya instructed the CID to suspend the release of the suspects. This letter, which was personally handed over to two CID officers, was later leaked, raising further concerns within the Attorney General’s Department.
The investigation now seeks to determine the source of the leak and the motivations behind it, as authorities work to uphold the integrity of the legal process.
