Issues

Outrage over Cader's arrest

By Ranee Mohamed

A special police unit housed at the Sports Division in Bambalapitiya headed by ASP Srinath Vedisinghe is making all politicians of the UNF, be they honest or dishonest, very nervous.

There was fresh fury and a furore after former Cooperatives Minister, A.R.M.A. Abdul Cader was dragged out of his residence at Abdul Gaffoor Mawatha in Colombo 3 on August 10.

"This is the advent of a Hitlerian Gestapo style of operation," charged former UNF Minister, A.H.M. Azwer referring to the newest unit headed by ASP Vedisinghe. "They did not let him wear his slippers and did not even allow him to take his medication," said Abdul Cader's wife, still suffering from shock.

"I saw the police officers but I thought they had come to salute my husband. My husband did not expect this. He had nothing to fear, we had nothing to be nervous about," she added. The family in tears spoke of the alms they have given the poor; close friends said that Cader's charitable disposition would never have allowed him to do anything dishonest by the poor.

Cader's wife said it was unbelievable how a senior politician like Cader was dragged out of the house. "My husband is a patient, he needs medication and now his condition has worsened because he couldn't take the tablets with him."

Drama

The 10 minute drama which took place around 6:30 p.m. last Tuesday left the Cader household and politicians of the opposition in a state of disbelief.

Reportedly the policemen who came to 67-year-old Cader's house had yelled "enawa yanda, warrant onne nehe." Cader had suffered through the night, without his medication and without dinner, close associates at his home alleged.

His wife had not been allowed to use the telephone during the time of the 'arrest.' "They knocked the receiver off my hand when I was trying to make a call," she said.

"This is the beginning of the end of democratic opposition in this country," said a dejected Kabir Hashim who was present at Cader's house. Hashim expressed concern and questioned whether this is the manner in which an ex minister is taken in - without a warrant, and without explaining the charges.

Azwer who was doing his best to seek justice for Cader said that this act was politically motivated. "The government is unable to fulfill their election pledges and is doing these things to distract the masses. Cader never touched a revolver, never saw a grenade. He gave from his own to the poor. He not only helped mosques, but churches and temples. He helped the poor around the country and was respected not only by the Muslims, but by those of all faiths. Still, he was dragged away like a common criminal," pointed out Azwer.

He said the act was aimed at politically disgracing a senior politician like Cader.

Cader, who had spent the whole night seated on a chair, looked tired and sickly. His message to his family from remand was "do not worry, tell them to be courageous. I have not done anything and I will come out."

"This is unthinkable. Can one pull a politician  out of his house without having committed a murder or a grievous crime? What is the position of honour and dignity of parliament?" asked Azwer, adding that there were many allegations and charges against politicians of the PA, but when the UNF was in power they did not resort to such action.

"If someone has wronged, then he has to be punished, we have no objection to that. But there is a procedure laid down in the constitution of the country," said Azwer.

"Doing my duty"

Meanwhile, when contacted ASP Vedisinghe said, "I was only doing my duty."

"We did not force our way into the house. We went to arrest Ravi Karunanayake, he went into the house, we did not break into the house and arrest him. Cader was there, we called him and he came. I did not do this on a personal level. I was following orders," explained Vedisinghe.

When asked whether the IGP knew about this arrest, Vedisinghe replied:, "There are many arrests made  and many raids conducted in this country. We do not inform the IGP about each of these raids. There are officers appointed for these things." Vedisinghe added he was not doing "anything wrong" but just doing his duty.

IGP's view

IGP Indra de Silva when contacted said that Vedisinghe's unit is a legal unit and that Vedisinghe is a police officer "and police officers can legally fight crime." The IGP said that special units have been set up under the DIG crimes to fight the underworld, etc. He pointed out that the Police Ordinance gives a policeman the authority to fight crime.

"Arrest? What arrest?" asked Rajitha Senaratne, the former lands minister. "That was not an arrest. It was a kidnap," he pointed out. Senaratne said that several police officers and even the STF had come to the residence of former Minister Cader to arrest him. "This is like arresting some underworld criminal. They have not allowed him to talk to his lawyer," he charged.

Senaratne said that the New Law Report of 1995 defines an arrest and every police officer is taught how not to make an arrest and about the rights of the citizens. He said that Vedisinghe seems like a law unto his own and pointed out there is a Fraud Bureau, a CID and a Crimes Division and a Bribery and Corruption Department in this country to fight fraud and crime and queried the need for the setting up of another unit.

"The IGP was not aware of the arrest and the deputy minister was not aware of the arrest. This is an anti corruption unit that has been set up at the Presidential Secretariat to inquire only about opposition politicians," pointed out Senaratne.

"Loose" case

President's Counsel Srinath Perera who is representing the interests of Cader said that Cader was produced before the magistrate at her residence. Perera had raised the issue of the need to produce a report certified by an officer above the rank of an ASP when the offence involves public property amounting to over Rs. 25,000. Perera had queried as to why such a report was not produced and had been told that there was such a report in the case file.

Perera said this report had been filed even before Cader had been arrested and before a statement had been recorded from him, adding that in a "loose" case as this, the suspect ought to have been given his basic right to explain himself.

The charge against Cader is that rice to be distributed among the poor from Samurdhi during Ramazan had allegedly not been distributed but the cheque from Samurdhi had reached the supplier and that Cader had facilitated the process.

"My observations are that the police officers seem to have been anxious and enthusiastic to have former Minister Cader arrested," said Perera.

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