Update: Lawyers strike for a day due to Akuregoda murders - Police remain silent

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka has decided to withdraw from all duties island-wide on February 16, protesting the brutal shooting and killing of a lawyer and his wife in the Akuregoda area. This decision was reached at a special general meeting held on February 15 at the Bar Association headquarters in Aluthkade, Colombo, chaired by the association's president, Attorney-at-Law Rajiv Amarasuriya.

It is noteworthy that such a special meeting, with the participation of all members of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, has been convened after fourteen years. Previously, such an urgent convocation was held in 2012, based on the incident of impeaching and removing the then Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake from office through Parliament.

At this special general meeting, President's Counsels Saliya Pieris, Kuvera de Zoysa, Upul Jayasuriya, as well as Attorneys-at-Law Nuwan Bopage and Gunaratne Wanninayake, expressed their views. It was proposed that a broad discussion should be held not only regarding the murder of the said lawyer but also concerning the overall culture of killings that has emerged in the country. An appeal was also made to media organizations to act more responsibly when reporting facts related to this crime.

Meanwhile, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (Western Province) Sajeeva Medawatta stated at a special media briefing held at Police Headquarters that twelve special police teams, including a team from the Criminal Investigation Department, have already been appointed to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the double murder. He pointed out that the police have already uncovered a significant amount of crucial information regarding four individuals suspected of being directly involved in the shooting incident.

The Senior DIG emphasized that although various information regarding the burnt vehicle, suspected to have been used by the perpetrators to escape, has been reported by the media, it cannot be definitively confirmed as the perpetrators' own vehicle until the Government Analyst's report is received. He also expressed confidence that the crime could be solved within the next two days, as this murder is not limited to just two shooters, and successful information has been received indicating the involvement of others behind it. He further stated that the police have not yet issued any official statement regarding the lawyer concerned, and that some facts published by the media regarding these ongoing highly sensitive investigations are neither fully endorsed nor rejected.