Deputy Minister of Public Security Sunil Watagala has clarified misinformation surrounding his remarks on Police powers to conduct raids outside their jurisdiction.
Responding to reporters’ questions on his recent statement on whether the Police can conduct raids beyond their jurisdiction, Deputy Minister Watagala said the Police do have powers to do so.
He said, however, his statement at a meeting of the Coordinating Committee of the Maharagama Pradeshiya Sabha, was made after it was found that some Police officers had entered areas beyond their jurisdiction for personal motives, including bribes.
“Police officers have the power to conduct raids beyond their jurisdiction. However, at present, we have found Police officers entering other areas under the guise of conducting raids, but in truth, seeking bribes and ransoms. They were found tampering with the weight of seized drugs and replacing the original suspect with others. Should we not act in instances such as these?” he said, revealing details of a recent incident involving two Police officers.
Deputy Minister Watagala further said that the relevant Police OIC had also informed that the two Police officers in question had stepped out of the Police station and engaged in the act without informing the station.
“This is evident that they had engaged in such an act for their personal motives. I wasn’t able to reveal all the details during that meeting. I only gave whatever details I could at that moment. I never said Police officers cannot conduct raids beyond their jurisdiction. I only questioned officers engaging in false raids in areas beyond their jurisdiction for their personal motives,” he said.
Deputy Minister Watagala went on to state that his questioning had resulted in the original suspect being arrested yesterday and being remanded, adding that investigations are also underway against the two Police officers involved in switching suspects.
His remarks follow a recent incident in which Deputy Minister Watagala was seen instructing police officers not to conduct raids without informing the officer in charge, during a district coordinating committee meeting.
“There has been a complaint from the Public Security Committee that police officers entered an area under the jurisdiction of another police area,” Watagala said, questioning how the raid was carried out without notifying the officer in charge. (Newswire)