Mission to save Gota from US legal case

A secret mission to save Former Secretary of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa from a civil suit filed against him at a California District Court is being reported. According to sources, the move has been launched from within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where attempts are being made to absolve him from the case by requesting the US government to grant Rajapaksa diplomatic immunity.

The only way to save him now appears to be providing him diplomatic immunity by the Sri Lankan government and informing the US counterparts through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, this is in spite of the fact that Rajapaksa now holds no official post in the Sri Lankan government.

But if such a move is taken, it will eventually be up to the Judge to decide if to proceed with the case. Sources say the move to save Rajapaksa from the allegations have been launched with the blessings of both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Lasantha Assassination

Justice and Respondents Contribution is providing legal aid to one of the cases filed by Ahimsa Wickrematunge in April 2019. She is the daughter of slain journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge.

The case alleges that Rajapaksa is responsible for the death of Lasantha Wickrematunge and violence being perpetrated against other journalists who were critical of the former government.

It was Justice and Respondents Contribution that assisted the family of Singer Victor Jara who was killed by the dictatorship of Chile’s Augusto Pinochet and the families of Bishop Oscar Romero and other Salvadoran citizens killed by Salvador government forces to obtain justice.

Second case against Gota

Another case was also filed by Canadian Tamil Roy Samadanam. He is being supported by the International Justice and Truth Project based in South Africa. He claims he was held for three years illegally after being arrested in 2017.

Samadanam is being represented by Lawyer Scott Gilmore from leading international legal firm Hausfeld.