By Newswire Editorial
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says the government is prepared to reduce the proposed 72-hour detention period to 48 hours under the Prevention of Organised Crimes Bill, following concerns raised over certain provisions of the legislation.
Addressing an event held today (05) to commemorate the first anniversary of the “Nation United – National Drive” (Ratama Ekata) drug eradication programme, the President said the government was considering amendments to three key provisions of the proposed legislation.
He said the three areas under consideration were the detention period, provisions relating to tattoos used to identify criminal gang members, and the inclusion of offences under the Excise Ordinance.
President Dissanayake said the government was ready to inform the Supreme Court that it agreed to amend all three provisions identified as concerns by those challenging the Bill.
Explaining the proposed changes, the President said the Bill, which is currently being considered by the Supreme Court, had faced objections over its provision allowing suspects to be detained for 72 hours.
He said the government was prepared to address these concerns by reducing the detention period to 48 hours.
The President also addressed concerns regarding the use of tattoos to identify members of organised criminal gangs, noting that while such identification methods are used internationally, the government was willing to remove the provision if it was considered unsuitable for Sri Lanka.
He further announced that offences falling under the Excise Ordinance would be excluded from the proposed legislation, addressing another concern raised by petitioners challenging the Bill.
President Dissanayake said the government was open to discussions with human rights organisations and civil society groups that had expressed opposition to the legislation.
He explained that the proposed law was intended to address the growing threat of organised crime, which had previously been dealt with using provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
The President said organised criminal networks had become increasingly powerful, making it necessary to introduce legislation specifically designed to combat such activities.
He noted that existing laws must evolve in response to changing circumstances and that Parliament had a responsibility to introduce appropriate legal measures to address organised crime.
President Dissanayake stressed that the government’s intention was not to violate the fundamental rights of citizens or grant excessive powers to the government, Police or other law enforcement authorities.
He reiterated that the proposed legislation was aimed solely at strengthening efforts to prevent and combat organised crime in Sri Lanka. (Newswire)