'Thieves Remain Free, Public Servants Are Jailed': Samarasinghe

November 04, 2015

The good governance government is letting the thieves remain free while it puts the public servants behind bars, Voice Against Corruption Convener Wasantha Samarasinghe said.

Speaking to BBC, he alleged that prosecutions in connection with fraud and corruption committed during the Rajapaksa regime have intentionally been halted despite completion of investigations.

Investigations are being carried out against public servants such as Lalith Weeratunga, while politicians remain free, Samarasinghe said. Weeratunga and other public servants merely followed orders, he added, saying that those who gave them orders must be prosecuted.

Meanwhile, he also said that action with regard to around 25 complaints has not gone beyond the Attorney General and the IGP.

These have been stalled since those responsible for corruption have been accepted to the ‘good governance’ government, Samarasinghe said. Some of them have become ministers of this government, he claimed.

President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe are responsible for breaching public trust on taking action against corruption, Samarasinghe also argued.