A British MP will this week confront Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa over a suspected cover-up in the murder of a British holidaymaker and the gang-rape of his girlfriend, the Telegraph UK reports.
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Simon Danczuk, MP for Mr Shaikh, said he did not believe DNA tests could take 28 months and told The Daily Telegraph he will raise concerns of a cover-up when he meets Rajapaksa later this week as part of a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association delegation to Colombo.
“I’m going to confront the president of Sri Lanka on whether he thinks this behaviour is becoming of a Commonwealth nation.
“The perception is that they’re trying to cover it up. My guess is that [it's because] the alleged murderer is a local politician who delivers for the ruling party, which delivers for the president and helps them remain elected,” said Mr Danczuk.
He believed threats against at least two witnesses had been a key factor in delaying progress in the inquiry. The eight suspects were released after ten months in custody because of the delays.
The Foreign Office is watching the investigation closely amid growing concerns about human rights abuses in the country in the run up to this year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo later this year. Britain will be represented by Prime Minister David Cameron and Prince Charles, but Mr Danczuk said the government should downgrade its representation if the criminal investigation into Mr Shaikh’s murder is further delayed.
“The British government should think twice about who we send to CHOGM if justice is not done before then, and whether it should include the Prime Minister,” he said.
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Simon Danczuk
“I’m going to confront the president of Sri Lanka on whether he thinks this behaviour is becoming of a Commonwealth nation.
“The perception is that they’re trying to cover it up. My guess is that [it's because] the alleged murderer is a local politician who delivers for the ruling party, which delivers for the president and helps them remain elected,” said Mr Danczuk.
He believed threats against at least two witnesses had been a key factor in delaying progress in the inquiry. The eight suspects were released after ten months in custody because of the delays.
The Foreign Office is watching the investigation closely amid growing concerns about human rights abuses in the country in the run up to this year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo later this year. Britain will be represented by Prime Minister David Cameron and Prince Charles, but Mr Danczuk said the government should downgrade its representation if the criminal investigation into Mr Shaikh’s murder is further delayed.
“The British government should think twice about who we send to CHOGM if justice is not done before then, and whether it should include the Prime Minister,” he said.
Colombo telegraph