UNP calls for independent inquiry into court fire

The UNP yesterday called for an independent inquiry into the fire that broke out at the Supreme Court complex on Tuesday.

Issuing a statement the UNP said that the building was situated in a high security zone and called on the government to conduct an immediate and transparent inquiry into the cause of this fire.

“The SC complex is situated in a section of Colombo, which is currently under lockdown, and court proceedings have been limited to only urgent cases with the absence of any public. As such, the government must ascertain what really led to the lapse in security which resulted in this fire.

“The UNP is only concerned about the reports about the location of the fire. Media reported that it had been confined to the basement of the complex. At the time the authorities had not been able to provide an update on the state of the court record room which is situated in the basement. Subsequently, the police stated that no damage had been caused to the record room. However, we request that a full inventory be taken of the records in the record room to ensure that no files have gone missing.

“Those who were responsible for the security of this complex must be held accountable. Prior to the handover of the government in 2019 the UNP led-government was in the process of digitalizing court records. We ask the government whether it has continued with the project.”