Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has criticized the Police for releasing video footage of the interrogation of a suspect arrested in connection with the recent shooting in Athurugiriya, where businessman ‘Club Wasantha’ was killed.
Addressing Parliament today, the Justice Minister noted that the video showed the Police questioning a suspect publicly and with media access. He stated that this is a violation of the law, and under such circumstances, the Police officers involved in the interrogation should be suspended.
Minister Rajapakshe emphasized that releasing such vital information to the media during an ongoing investigation is considered contempt of court.
“Under the current circumstances, I do not believe that the judiciary can grant justice. The Police have already conducted their hearing for the whole country to see, and now they only need to issue the verdict. The judges have nothing more to do in this case,” he said, condemning the actions of the Police.
The Justice Minister questioned the legality of such interrogations and how crime investigations can be conducted with the involvement of such Police officers. Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe pointed out that these actions undermine public trust in the judicial system.
His comments follow the Police’s release of video footage to the media showing the interrogation of the owner of the tattoo studio in Athurugiriya, where the shooting occurred. During the public interrogation, the suspect named a local drug peddler living in Dubai as the mastermind of the attack on businessman ‘Club Wasantha’.