The Island Editorial

When cops get killed

12 May 2017

 

The growing impotency of the state vis-a-vis powerful crime syndicates has become manifestly evident on numerous occasions during the last few decades. Kudu Nauffer, a drug baron, serving a sentence had the upright High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitiya, who had meted out deterrent punishment to drug dealers, assassinated in 2004. Special Task Force (STF) Commandant DIG R. W. M. C. Ranawana suffered serious injury at the hands of a group of convicted criminals who broke into the Welikada Prison armoury during a riot and opened fire on police in 2012. A powerful underworld gang planned and executed an ambush on a prison bus carrying their rivals in February this year. Six persons including two prison guards perished in the attack. The latest incident was Tuesday night’s daring attack on a group of Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) officers, one of whom died. The attackers came riding motorcycles, emptied the magazines of their assault rifles into the police officers, who were sitting ducks in a car. The masterminds behind the daring attack have been identified as notorious drug kingpin Wele Suda and another criminal known as Madush, we are told.

If armed police and prison personnel are not safe how vulnerable the ordinary public goes without saying. The blame for the rise of the underworld to the present level must be apportioned to successive governments. All notorious criminals work for powerful politicians as is public knowledge. Gonawala Sunil, a convicted rapist and killer pardoned by the late President J. R. Jayewardene, Kalu Lucky, a criminal who stoned Supreme Court judges’ houses, Soththi Upali, a homicidal killer, extortionist and rapist, and many other underworld figures worked for the JRJ and Premadasa governments. Kaduwela Wasantha, a hired gun and armed robber, and Beddegana Sanjeewa, a contract killer and extortionist, were among the criminals who served the Chandrika Kumaratunga government. Sanjeewa was recruited to the police as a Reserved Sub Inspector for services rendered; he was attached to the Presidential Security Division! Wambotta, a serial killer and extortionist, Chandi Malli, a goon turned politician were two of the many criminals who faithfully served the Rajapaksa government. Thankfully, the aforesaid savages are now pushing up daisies.

Regrettably, the yahapalana rule also kicked off with a ‘bang’ in the run-up to the 2015 general election; several hardcore criminals who had fled the country returned after the change of government in that year to do political work for the UNP clashed with their rivals openly in Colombo. The present government showcased its ‘goon prowess’ last year in Hambantota, where it got rock-throwing thugs to work alongside the riot police to crush an Opposition protest against the handover of a vast extent of land to some Chinese companies. Who guards the guards?

While attacks on drug busters et al are discussed special mention must be made of the fate that befell PNB officer IP Douglas Nimal and his wife in 2006. He had conducted several successful raids and brought a number of sharks in the narcotics trade to justice. And in the process, he had antagonised some of his superiors in cahoots with drug barons. Charges were trumped up against him and he was arrested. However, he was released and his name cleared subsequently and he was planning to take the rotten eggs in uniform to courts. It is believed that they preempted his move by having him and his wife murdered. That was the reward for an officer who had proved his mettle! Similarly, most high-ranking police officers have a shameful history of siding with ministerial brats who set upon PNB sleuths at night clubs during raids.

We have written extensively, in this space, about the gunning down of IP Nimal and his wife and called for a proper investigation, but in vain. Let present IGP Pujith Jayasundera be urged to reopen the case, find out what really happened and, most of all, ensure that the intrepid police officer’s two children are taken care of. Better late than never!

Far be it from us to tell the IGP how to respond to threats, but we wonder why the police personnel on dangerous assignments are not backed by the combat ready STF, which alone is equal to the task of neutralising the underworld teeming with well trained military deserters.

Severing the links between politicians and the netherworld of crime is a prerequisite for protecting people’s right to peaceful living. According to the widely accepted Social Contract theory the state derives the legitimacy of its control over people’s rights from its duty and ability to ensure public safety among other things. The yahapalana government came to power, promising to restore democracy and the rule of law, the be-all and end-all of public safety. But, it has so far failed to make good on its solemn pledge. True, the current leaders are not solely responsible for this sorry state of affairs. However, they are left with no alternative but to get cracking to arrest the rapid erosion of public confidence in the incumbent government and the state.