Minister identifies rotten cop

By Ifham Nizam

Defence Secretary, Maj. Gen. (retd.) Kamal Gunaratne said that steps would be taken to appoint an Environmental Protection Task Force with the assistance of all security forces as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was also paying close attention to conservation of nature.

He said so when he met Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, who urged the country’s top brass to give punishment transfers to all law enforcement officers who failed to take action against environmental destruction, particularly at the Muthurajawela Wetland.

During the discussion, Amaraweera requested the Defence Secretary to take legal action against a senior police officer at the Bopitiya police station.

The Minister told the Defence Secretary that following a recent incident in the wetland, he had lodged a complaint against the conduct of a senior Police Officer attached to the Bopitiya station. Despite the Minister’s instructions the senior police officer had failed to take action against those responsible for carrying out illegal activities there.

Recently, five dump trucks were involved in illegal reclamation of land in the sensitive Muthurajawela and the culprits were backed by an official.

The Defence Secretary informed the Minister that he would take strict action against the particular officer.

During his recent visit to Muthrurajawela Wetland, Amaraweera saw unauthorised constructions, landfills and activities that are harmful to the environment. Despite, his strict instructions, some officers had failed to implement orders given against those raping the wetland brazenly.

The Minister instructed a senior police officer at the Bopitiya Police Station to arrest and enforce the law against five tippers belonging to a business entity that were filling part of the Muthurajawela with rubble removed from demolished buildings.