The Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, as someone currently on remand, I am glad to be here to speak on this Bill. To be frank, this is like wearing someone else’s clothes and calling them mine. Who drafted this? When? Who sent it to the Attorney-General? When? When did Cabinet approve it? Why rush now? Why insist on passing it? This is being passed to satisfy the IMF. If the IMF had not pushed, this Bill would not have come. The previous Government also tried to bring it at the IMF’s behest. The best example is the Anti-Corruption Act.

¶ 02 I supported that Anti-Corruption Act while in Government. Now, one case was split into three, and I was the first to be charged under the very law I voted for. Those cases were filed. A 2016 complaint, a 2019 answer; in 2019 when I went to answer, they said there is no case, I left. In 2025, I was told to come again. On the 27th, I went; while I was answering inside, a message at 11 a.m. went out saying, “Chamara Sampath has been arrested.” I didn’t even know. One case was split into three. Fine. Then after bail was granted, they took that cheque and on the 30th filed another complaint at the CID. I was remanded on the 27th. Knowing that I would get bail today, the 8th, they went on the 30th and filed a new complaint. For the complaint filed on the 30th, on the 7th, they filed a B Report in Badulla. If you work like that, what can’t you do, Hon. Presiding Member? There are 4,000–5,000 cases piled up. If they can act this fast against me, treat others the same way. Filed on the 30th, on the 7th remanded at Badulla, today got bail in Colombo—amazing! Do the same for others. That is what this Bill is for. That is why I said some people wear others’ clothes and walk proudly. This is like that too.

¶ 03 We not only supported the Anti-Corruption Act but supported all Bills brought by Ranil Wickremesinghe from the other side. Whatever happened to us, we still voted. Most of the Bills in the past were passed by us—during our Government. No issue. Even if no one else voted, I came from prison to vote for this Bill. No issue—if someone has illicitly acquired assets, let the law act against anyone. But do it properly. Don’t do to others what you did to me. Don’t take revenge. Just because you are in Government now and might be in Opposition later—keep one standard. Act according to that standard, Hon. Presiding Member. There are limits to political revenge. No problem—the law is common to politicians too. Because we passed laws here does not give these 225 any special law.

¶ 04 The law is equal to all. But the law must be enforced without a motive for revenge. In your front row sits a Minister who forcibly took a two-storied building in Galkissa; there is a complaint at the CID. He did it while in Opposition. To date, he has not gone to the CID or Galkissa court to answer. Another Minister, during his time at the Fertilizer Corporation, did a fraud of Rs. 70 million and was blacklisted—no action to date. What did I do? They allege I gave Rs. 1 million from Bank of Ceylon Badulla branch to distribute gold coin children’s savings from bank accounts. They filed cases saying that Rs. 1 million was deposited to the Chief Minister’s official account. Should I write “Sudubanda” instead of Chief Minister? At that time, if not on the Chief Minister’s letterhead, on whose letterhead should I write to request funds from a bank?

¶ 05 Hon. Presiding Member, I have great respect for you. I have known you since you were in Anuradhapura. I say this: don’t take revenge like this. Whatever law you bring, do things properly.

¶ 06 Finally, Minister of Justice, since I am in jail, let me speak about prisons. In Colombo Remand Prison (CRP), there are 2,600 inmates where capacity is around 400. They are packed at night. In some wards there are 400. Look into this. Why? 90% are caught up in drugs. Why?

¶ 07 Earlier police filed cases for 5.20 milligrams; now they file for 10.20 milligrams. Why 10.2? At 10.2, no bail. Due to the law passed during Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe’s time, today High Courts cannot grant bail in such cases. There is a man inside for drugs since President Maithripala, then Gotabaya, then Ranil, and even if Anura Kumara becomes President—he says he never voted in any presidential election. Seven years in CRP. I can show him to you—come tomorrow. I will still be in CRP tomorrow and the day after, and after that I go to Badulla. Minister of Justice, please look into this. You cannot stop drugs like this. In CRP alone, 2,000 youths are drug-affected.

¶ 08 Hon. Presiding Member: Your time is over.

¶ 09 Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake: Please give me one more minute.

¶ 10 I was at Badulla Prison the other day. When chaining 70 inmates to take to Mahiyanganaya Court, 54 of them were drug-affected. If 54 from Mahiyanganaya are drug-affected, who will cultivate the fields? Who will do the farming? This is a big issue—these are small-time people. Train them at a camp and send them to work abroad—Israel or elsewhere. Create a program. Sri Lanka must be cleaned up. There is no Clean Sri Lanka inside CRP. There is no decent way for inmates to live—shifted from place to place. Under Clean Sri Lanka, do good things like this.

¶ 11 The Police Minister is trying hard—raising police salaries—but raise prison officers’ salaries too. Work on that next. They are suffering. There are 468 officers—everyone works among inmates. I say this responsibly. I am, on the one hand, happy that I went inside. It is good I went in, because no one had told the outside what conditions are like inside. We must reveal the conditions in prisons. All prisons are overcrowded. Therefore, investigate and act. Thank you for the seven minutes given.

¶ 12 I will not be shaken by these things. You cannot intimidate me. I am not a character to be intimidated by such things. From Lal Kantha who has been here since 1989—I too come from a family that faced that era’s terror. I am not afraid; I too was tempered by it. Today we are in different parties, Lal. Remembering that, I fall silent.