RUKANTHA FORGIVES ALL THOSE WHO HARASSED THEM

Former President scot free ... Security ... in jail We forgive them -- Rukantha

     Those guilty for having harassed Rukantha -- Chandralekha couple have been found after searching for them for a period of 13 years and 10 of them have been punished by courts a few days ago.

    However, Rukantha and Chandralekha summoned the media yesterday for a special news briefing at the Colombo Galadari Hotel. What they said was that though the genuine culprits to this offense are the former Presidents and those of high authority; those who have been punished are people not guilty and  they have decided to pardon them for having had to carry out orders. They said that they had already sent a letter about it to the President.

   Whatever it is, it is not clear why they had not pardoned when the Case was proceeding, prior to the final verdict of the courts. The Panadura courts High Court Judge Mrs.Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena issued orders on the 1st of this month for 10 officers of the former President Security Forces for a period of four and a half years in prison and to pay a fine of 21,000 for conviction of cutting the hair, harassing, criminal intimidation, threatening with murder, attempted murder and looting of property on January 20th in the year 2000.

   At the news briefing, Rukantha -- Chandralekha have said, "We respect the decision of the courts ... we appreciate the judgment given by courts ... but this is a headache to both of us. All members of our family will be once again leaving overseas this coming Friday. As such, we should get rid of this headache before that. Day by day both of us decided to pardon these 10 individuals who have been jailed and on a personal basis ... respecting the decision of the courts. One reason for that is that those who cut our hair and made threats to our lives in front of our children and the party who issued orders for them to carry out this crime are still scot free while only a few have been jailed. But the fact that only a few individuals are undergoing punishment is something that affects us mentally. The other thing is that both of us took a decision kneeling in front of God according to the religion that we follow, to pardon these individuals. Even on the day that this incident took place, we pardoned those who committed this crime ... in front of God".