“Like Flesh and Nail”: Shani and Dileepa Peries United, Rumours Dismissed
The YouTube channel “IODPP Police”, operated by the International Organisation for the Depoliticisation of the Sri Lanka Police, featured a special programme today (22) presented by Ajith Dharmapala, where he addressed the relevant issues.
Ajith Dharmapala stated that rumours suggesting a conflict between Shani and Dileepa — two national heroes who are working together “like flesh and nail” in service of the country — are being deliberately spread by the Attorney General.
He further said that there is a reasonable suspicion that the head of the Attorney General’s Department, who is promoting the narrative that there is a rift between Shani and Dileepa (who appear for the complainant in the case filed against the former President over the alleged misappropriation of more than Rs. 16.6 million in public funds), is effectively acting as a legal adviser to rescue Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Dharmapala also accused the Attorney General of deliberately attempting to delay the filing of indictments against Ranil Wickremesinghe.
No Tradition of the Attorney General Sending MLA Letters for Investigations – Sanath Balasuriya
Meanwhile, senior journalist Sanath Balasuriya, in a Facebook post, stated that there has never been a tradition of the Attorney General sending Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) requests for the purpose of an investigation.
He noted that although the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had already formally written to obtain official confirmation regarding the authenticity of the alleged invitation extended to former President Ranil Wickremesinghe by the University of Wolverhampton, highly reliable sources indicate that the Attorney General is now also preparing to send a request under Mutual Legal Assistance.
Saroj Pathirana’s Comment Supporting Sanath
Responding to Sanath Balasuriya’s Facebook post, senior journalist Saroj Pathirana commented:
“Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe had previously instructed the CID to inquire from the university through an MLA request. Except for blind devotees of Ranil, others believed that this was a tactic by the Attorney General to delay Ranil’s case — because responses to MLA requests can take months or even years. In fact, the CID team even travelled to London without informing the Attorney General due to that suspicion.
If the police have already sent an MLA request, and now the Attorney General is again attempting to send another MLA, it would reasonably raise suspicion that this is a delaying tactic.”
The Attorney General’s Procedure Becomes an Issue Even for Ranil’s Side
In relation to investigations into former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s London visit, his legal team has challenged the Attorney General’s Department for failing to properly utilise established Mutual Legal Assistance provisions.
They argue that this raises questions about the completeness of the investigations.
Sources close to the former President state that his lawyers are preparing to argue that the Attorney General’s Office has bypassed Section 13 of the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, which provides a clear legal mechanism for obtaining evidence from foreign countries.
This provision allows Sri Lankan authorities to request assistance from foreign courts, prosecuting authorities, or administrative bodies, including:
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Obtaining evidence from foreign jurisdictions
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Securing documents and travel records
If there were genuine concerns regarding Wickremesinghe’s London visit, his lawyers argue that the proper course would have been to formally request evidence from the UK Home Office rather than relying on incomplete domestic evidence or merely seeking clarification from the university.
They maintain that any prosecution built without fully utilising available legal mechanisms would suffer from a loss of credibility.
As a result, public scrutiny has intensified regarding how high-profile political prosecutions are being handled.
Confidential Documents on the Attorney General’s Desk
The “B Report” submitted by the CID to the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court targeting former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Presidential Secretary Saman Ekanayake has now reached the Attorney General’s Department.
At the same time, written submissions filed by the defence — including original documents from the University of Wolverhampton — have reportedly seriously challenged the assertions made by the CID.
These highly sensitive documents have been closely examined by an investigative team, revealing previously undisclosed legal and diplomatic dimensions.
“Private Visit” or High-Level Diplomatic Engagement?
The CID’s sole argument is that the London trip was a private visit made without an official invitation.
However, the defence relies on the official event schedule and main programme issued by the university to argue that the event constituted a high-level diplomatic engagement.
According to the event schedule, the occasion was not merely a graduation ceremony but the official 25th anniversary celebration of Chancellor Lord Swraj Paul. The Indian Consul General in Birmingham and the Mayor of Wolverhampton were officially present.
The Chief of Protocol was listed as Senarath Dissanayake, while Presidential Private Secretary Sandra Perera was also officially named.
The defence argues that a Head of State attending such an official anniversary event falls within executive functions under Article 33(h) of the Constitution.
Security Protocol and the Role of Hiruni Rajapaksha
The CID has characterised transport and security expenses as “misuse of public funds” under the Public Property Act.
However, according to event documentation, the Head of Security, Transport & Fleet was Christopher Robinson, and Hiruni Rajapaksha acted as the coordinating officer from the Sri Lankan High Commission.
The defence argues that when official state mechanisms were directly involved in planning security arrangements in coordination with the university’s security division, it is unreasonable to classify those expenses as misappropriation.
The Sarojah Sirisena Controversy and Double Standards
A major legal controversy arises from the statement of former High Commissioner Sarojah Sirisena, who reportedly told the CID that she had never even seen an invitation.
However, the defence has produced written evidence indicating that the university’s Vice Chancellor had directly sent an official invitation to “Her Excellency Sarojah Sirisena.”
Furthermore, the event schedule reportedly placed her ninth on the VIP guest list, and her staff member Hiruni Rajapaksha coordinated the event.
Despite this, while she claimed ignorance, the CID treated her as a witness and proceeded to arrest the Presidential Secretary who remained in Colombo.
Defence legal experts argue that this selective action amounts to a politically motivated prosecution and violates Article 12(1) of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law.