Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Namal Rajapaksa has questioned how a government minister could predict that he would be imprisoned before a court has delivered its verdict, raising concerns over the independence of the judiciary.
“I really want to ask the minister one simple question. How does he know that I am going to prison in a few days when the court has not even given its verdict?” Rajapaksa said.
Rajapaksa said he had confidence in the courts and would respect any decision reached after considering the case and the evidence presented.
However, he said comments by a minister predicting the outcome of a pending court case could raise questions over possible political interference in the judicial process.
“This is not only about me. It is about the independence of our judiciary. Political leaders should not be predicting court verdicts. They should allow the courts to do their job without pressure or interference,” he said.
Rajapaksa added that if the minister already knew the outcome of the case, the public had a right to question how such information had been obtained.
“The verdict should come from the court, not from a minister,” he said. (Newswire)