There is a lot of brouhaha currently on the arrest of
Yoshitha Rajapaksa for the alleged offence of money laundering with former
President Mahinda Rajapaksa himself calling it a political witch-hunt targeting
the Rajapaksas. Speaking to the Media after visiting his son at the Magazine
Prison Rajapaksa also in the same breath says he is not objecting to the arrest
if there is wrong doing. Then he goes on to say that he knows well that his son
is innocent. Not to be outdone eldest son Namal says it is not only members of
the Rajapaksa family but the government's political witch-hunt extended to the
entire public service and those identified as being sympathetic to the former
regime are being hounded. He accused the government of arresting innocent
individuals and charging them with false crimes. Young Rajapaksa then echoing
his father's sentiments goes onto state that it does not matter whom the
political witch-hunt was against providing the government addressed the needs
of the people.
It is obvious that the whole intention of the Rajapaksas are
to paint themselves to the public as the subjects of a political witch-hunt and
acquire the maximum mileage for their political project. There was a sombre
looking Gotabhaya Rajapaksa lamenting the arrest of a 25-year-old innocent
youth. Never mind the seriousness of the offence. Is Gotabhaya suggesting that
there are no convicts under the age of 25 in our prisons?
No mention is made of others taken into custody, the focus
being only on Yoshitha. Were they too subjects of a political witch-hunt by
association? If so, one is at a loss to fathom how Nishantha Ranatunga, brother
of Arjuna, a powerful Minister in the Yahapalanaya government and World Cup
winning cricket captain to boot, can be the subject of a political witch-hunt
unless Ranatunga senior considers him as a powerful political foe and wants his
younger brother locked up.
Suffice it to say that there have precedents elsewhere too
where the progeny of powerful political leaders have been taken into custody
for wrongdoing. The daughter of Muthuvelu Karunanidhi was thrown behind bars
for her involvement in the multi-billion dollar Spectrum deal and the
son-in-law of Sonia Gandhi no less is currently under probe for his alleged
involvement in a real estate racket.
In the Yoshitha matter too, the law must be allowed to take
its course and there cannot be exceptions where the Rajapaksas are concerned.
Mahinda Rajapaksa was an MP in the 70-77 United Front government when Ravi
Jayewardene, son of JRJ, was put behind bars for his alleged links to the 71
uprising. Hence Yoshitha's is not a unique case in this country.
Besides, the arrest of Yoshitha did not come out of the
blues but the result of thorough and painstaking investigations. To suggest
that this is part of a witch-hunt is to mislead the public and an attempt to
cast aspersions on the investigative process. This was also the case with the
arrest of the Ven. Galagoda Atthe Gnanasara for the serious offence of contempt
of court where it was claimed that the monk was taking up cudgels on behalf of
‘war heroes’ who had been unfairly arrested. If this state of affairs is
allowed to continue the courts and investigative arms of the state would not be
able to function effectively leading to state of paralysis of the law
enforcement and legal system as a whole.
The Government should act, and act fast to stem the rot. The
country cannot be allowed to slip into a state of anarchy with politicians and
members of the Sangha questioning the rulings of courts or challenging the
legitimate investigative processes.
There was a time during 70 -77 United Front regime when
several prominent businessmen and gem merchants connected to the UNP were
thrown behind bars for exchange control offences. There were no cries of
political witch-hunts then. The law of the country was allowed to take its
course then as it should be allowed to take its course now. Nothing can be
claimed in extenuation. The former President on the day of the arrest of his
son was seen on television lamenting that such was his sorry lot for winning
the war and protecting the country. One could say that, that was also the sorry
lot of the war winning Army Commander General (now Field Marshal) Sarath
Fonseka.
By connecting the whole episode to the war victory Rajapaksa
no doubt is doing what he knows best- appealing to his nationalist
constituency, to make political capital out of the arrest of his son. The law
has no place for sentiment as Rajapaksa who is a lawyer well knows. It has to
apply equally both to the humble as well as the mighty, if the public are to
have trust and confidence in the justice system. Inciting mobs to lay siege on
court houses or making sweeping statements against the legitimate investigative
arms of state, accusing them of partisanship, can only send the wrong message
to anarchic elements to take the law into their own hands.
Written By Lalith Alahakoon
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