If a police commissioner cannot get justice, who can get it?

Newton Gunaratne, one time chairman of the state-owned Independent Television Network (ITN) and Sri Lanka's envoy to Myanmar, is currently a member of the Police Commission.

Yet, he complains that he has not been able to move the Police into action over a complaint.

His daughter and mother-in-law had recently received a telephone call from a person identifying himself as an inspector from the Valaichchenai Police. He had been asked to call over so a statement could be recorded. The reason for such an exercise was his "involvement with the militarily defeated Tiger guerrillas."

The daughter, like any law abiding citizen would, immediately lodged a complaint at his area police station. He said he had no connection with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). He also told Police officers that his father-in-law would never have been made a member of the Police Commission if that was the case.

Mr. Gunaratne intervened by speaking to Police higher ups. He wanted to clear the name of his sonin-law. He also wanted to bring to book persons who are known to be using the ruse of summoning people to Police stations in the East only to extort money. Alas, Mr. Gunaratne says there has been no response.

In the June 23rd issue of the Sunday Times under the heading 'Bogus law-enforcement callers alleging terrorist links extort money: Threats to personal safety deter some victims from lodging complaints with the Police", we published a detailed account of what is happening in this area of criminal activity.

Imagine the plight of an ordinary citizen when a member of the Police Commission is unable to seek justice? A witty gazetted Police officer remarked somewhat sarcastically that Mr. Gunaratne should telephone the IGP's help desk.