By  Gandara John 

In a landmark case, a bench of Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeal found a former Minister, suspected of having close links to Easter Bomb terrorist Zaharan, guilty of illegally settling people on State Land and raping the Wilpattu Forest.  

Bathiudeen, presently in remand jail for defrauding State funds, came into prominence recently when his Party members voted with Gota to pass an Amendment to the Constitution that would enable American Basil to sit in Parliament. 

The case that was filed against him by an environmental organisation was a Civil case and the Court ordered Bathiudeen to make good the damage with his personal funds. 

Destroying State Land and facilitating squatting on State Land are criminal offences that carry severe punishment for offenders and those abetting the offenders. 

It is alleged that some Ministers and Government officials, abetted Bathiudeen to commit these crimes by way of issuing and acting on illegal, gazettes, circulars, certificates etc. 

The question being bandied around in political and legal circles is ‘Will the AG, reputedly a fiercely independent and honourable man, instruct the Police to indict criminal charges against Bathiudeen and all those who allegedly helped Bathiudeen to commit these offences?’