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After regime change Lanka’s top investigator flees to Geneva

Sri Lanka’s top investigator flee to Geneva after Rajapksa government came to power.
Sri Lanka’s top investigator flee to Geneva after Rajapksa government came to power.

Since 2015, Nishantha Silva is a part of investigations against members of the Rajapaksa family and top officials. He was the top sleuth in many corruption cases.

Silva is a Sri Lankan police officer. He handled the top-level investigations against the members of the previous Rajapaksa government between 2005 and 2015. Now he has fled to Geneva after Rajapksa government came to power.

On Sunday, police headquarters released a statement in this regard saying that they would launch an investigation as to how Inspector Nishantha Silva left the country. Above all, he did not obtain a formal approval which is underway.

The police statement reads, “All police officers when leaving the country must obtain approval from the ministry secretary. This officer has not done so.”

Since 2015, Silva was the top sleuth in many corruption and other investigations against members of the Rajapaksa family and top officials. Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected as country’s new president after elections on November 16.  

Yesterday, he told a gathering that the chief investigator fled from the country. He also mentioned that all the investigations against him and his officials were politically-motivated investigations. Sri Lanka’s Rajapaksa regime tightened its grip on political power.

Importantly, President Rajapaksa swore-in his elder brother Mahinda as the prime minister of the country. Amidst this political change, Silva is thought to flee the country fearing reprisals from the new regime.

Due to Silva’s “bias conduct” during investigations many parties have asked for investigation against him. The Rajapaksa government when in the Opposition had accused that all investigations carried out by him were politically-motivated.

To investigate the matter properly, Police Headquarters instructed the CID Director to immediately conduct an investigation and report back. Reports mention that Silva’s overseas travel is a breach of Police discipline.

In the same vein, SSP Ruwan Gunasekera mentioned that a disciplinary action will also be instituted against him.