The police had arrested 40 politicos and instituted legal action against them during the past 12 months, Police Spokesman SP Ajith Rohana said yesterday.
Among them were ministers, deputy ministers, ordinary parliamentarians, provincial council and local government members and charges against them included murder,
abduction, assault, rape, land grabbing and child abuse, he said.
The majority of the politicians arrested were from the ruling UPFA. There were several UNP local government members too.
The latest is the arrest by the Kandy police of the Central Provincial Health Minister for assaulting a doctor at the Kandy General Hospital.
Badulla police on Friday arrested Badulla Pradeshiya Sabha UPFA member for assaulting an official of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board’s Badulla office. The NWSDB official came under attack when he was in the Vineethagama area to inspect a tube well project. The victim has been admitted to the Badulla General Hospital.
SP Rohana said that Galnebindunuwewa police yesterday arrested a UNP member of the Galenbindunuwewa PS over assault. Police received a complaint on Saturday that a UNP member of the Galenbindunuwewa PS had assaulted a resident of Megodawewa in Maharambawewa on Friday. The assault victim was being treated for minor injuries at the Galenbinunuwewa Rural Hospital.
A UPFA member of Rigeegama PS was also taken into custody by Gokarella police on Saturday night for hurling stones at a convoy of vehicles of MP Nimal (Nilwala) Wijesinghe, who, elected on the UNP ticket from the Kurunegala District and later crossed over to government.
A UNP member of the Southern Provincial Council was arrested on Saturday by Akmeemana police for unruly behaviour under the influence of liquor. He led a group of persons to block a main road at Thalgampola after attending a wedding. When the police went there to clear the congestion, the councillor obstructed them and was arrested. He would be produced before the Galle Magistrate’s Court today, the police said.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Investigation Unit has commenced a separate investigation against the politicians involved in criminal activities, government sources said.
General Secretary of the SLFP, Minister Maithripala Sirisena said that a large number of workshops had been held for those politicians, especially the local government members on discipline, good governance and conduct, but it seemed that none of them had yielded the desired results.
Several months ago, Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne told Parliament that there were many politicians involved in drug peddling and that political patrons had become a problem for the law enforcing agencies.