Sri Lanka yet to request extradition of alleged sniper, says AG Anil
Madushanka, accused of being a sniper, was arrested on 24 October 2015, and was allegedly hired to assassinate President Yameen
Lahiru Madushanka
Attorney General Mohamed Anil has said that Sri Lanka has not made any requests to extradite Lahiru Madushanka, the alleged sniper who was hired to assassinate President Abdulla Yameen.
He made the remark to foreign journalists at a press conference at the Maldivian Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka, along with fisheries minister Dr. Mohamed Shainee and Maldives Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mohamed Hussain Shareef.
Madushanka, accused of being a sniper, was arrested on 24 October 2015, and was allegedly hired to assassinate President Yameen. However, Lanka dismissed the claims saying that the he was 'a dry fish seller'. The Lankan government have also revealed that they have requested Maldivian authorities to expedite the proceedings in the case.
Noting that 'there is a system in place between Sri Lanka and Maldives,' the attorney general told reporters that Sri Lanka has yet to ask for the sniper to be extradited to Lanka.
While Anil spoke of systems being place, Sri Lanka had, back in 2016, violated its owns laws by deporting an associate of jailed former vice president Ahmed Adeeb, Ahmed 'Shumba Gong' Ashraf, without completing the necessary procedures. The Sri Lankan foreign ministry later admitted to having breached laws in expelling Ashraf, and accused the Maldivian authorities of presenting 'inaccurate information' for his arrest. Then Ambassador Zahiya Zareer was even summoned to the ministry over the matter.
In addition to Madhushanka, former vice president Adeeb, Fazeel Hameed and Is’haaq Hussain have been charged with plotting to assassinate the President.
