The Hon. (Ms.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, once again, let me reiterate the fact that we are determined to see that justice is meted out to this family. In fact, Hon. Member, I felt that the letter Ms. Ahimsa Wickrematunge had sent to me was also extremely measured given the circumstances and what this family has had to endure for the past, I do not know how many years. So, we are very determined because at the end of the day, the purpose of having a judicial system, the Attorney-General’s office, all of these institutions is to deliver justice and if procedures come in the way of delivering justice, then we need to re-examine those procedures. We have taken several actions and are expecting the Attorney-General to take some action today as well. This is something we are closely monitoring. As I said, we are definitely looking into whether we can initiate fresh indictments on this case; we will do everything within our power. Also, let us not forget that the Attorney-General’s Department and related institutions, even though there are good officers with good intentions, have got used to a particular way of working, have worked within a particular culture. That also needs to change. That takes time, but taking time does not mean that victims can wait forever for answers. So, this is something that is very sensitive, of which we are very aware, and we will do what we can. Hon. Member, we are ready to allocate a full day to debate on this issue because we also agree that this is extremely important.

¶ 02 This is very important. People across the country who are waiting for justice are watching this. It is very sensitive to the public who are looking to see how justice and fairness promised by our Government will be delivered. We also reiterate that we are ready to hold a full-day debate on this. We will ensure that the Attorney-General’s Department is not once again subject to political capture, while, as a Government, we work attentively to ensure justice and fairness are delivered.

¶ 03 Thank you for the time given, Hon. Deputy Speaker.