Minister Bimal Ratnayake stated that former President Ranil Wickremesinghe should have been arrested 40 years ago for far more serious allegations.
“There are arguments that the accusations behind his recent arrest are trivial; that’s true. However, his government in 1977 unleashed massive post-election violence. Ranil and JR were responsible for that and should have been arrested at that time,” the minister said.
He added that Wickremesinghe should have been held accountable for his role as a Cabinet Minister during key incidents in the early 1980s, including the burning of the Jaffna library in 1981 and the July 1983 riots.
“Between 1987 and 1990, more than 60,000 people were killed under his government. He is also facing charges related to the Batalanda torture house, which are still under investigation by the Attorney General. He should have been arrested for this, but no action was taken,” Ratnayake said.
The minister further noted that Wickremesinghe’s involvement in the 2015 bond scam was evident, yet no arrest was made at that time.
“So a person who should have faced justice for far more serious charges decades ago is only being investigated now under our government, where officers can carry out their duties with integrity and without hindrance,” he added.
