CJ directs AG to expedite PTA cases

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 January 2002, 11:45 GMT]
More than six hundred Tamil youths arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) are languishing in prisons at Boosa, Kalutara, Welikada, Bogambara and Anuradhapura without being brought to trial. " I direct the Attorney General to take immediate steps to clear this backlog of cases", said the Chief Justice Sarath N.Silva Thursday when a fundamental rights application was taken up for inquiry.

In this FR case the petitioner Subramaniam Napoleon of Vavuniya states that he was subjected to severe torture after the arrest by the State armed forces.

The Chief Justice further said, "in most of the cases filed under the PTA the prosecution depends only on the confessions of the suspects to prove their offence. According to the law the suspects could not be found guilty only on their confessions".

The Chief Justice added suspects in some PTA cases have been indicted before high courts in Kandy, Vavuniya and Colombo.