Sri Lanka's opposition JVP today accused President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe of influencing graft probe against the wrongdoers from the previous Rajapaksa administration to protect them.
"Both President and Prime Minister are slowing down investigations because they want to protect the corrupt," Lal Kantha, a JVP senior told reporters here.
He said the civil society organisations were focusing attention on the lethargy of the police and the judiciary, but they must blame the two leaders.
"This government won't exist if they are to take action against the corrupt," Kantha said.
Since the victory of Srisena in 2015, the Financial Crimes Investigation Division was created to investigate the large scale corruption allegations against the members of the Rajapaksa government including former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and his immediate family members.
The FCID has already arrested Basil Rajapaksa, the powerful economic development minister and Rajapaksa's younger brother. His second son Yoshitha was also arrested on money laundering charges. Both have been released on bail.
Sirisena and Wickremesinghe had promised a clean government by probing all allegations against the former regime members.
Several members of the family and senior government members of Rajapaksa have also been questioned, yet there is growing public resentment over the slow speed of proceedings.
Many cases are pending and taken long time over investigations.
