Swiss government won’t let police question alleged victim
Switzerland has reiterated that its Colombo mission’s employee abducted on Nov 25 couldn’t be questioned on health grounds.
State Secretary Pascale Baeriswyl has told Sri Lankan ambassador to Switzerland Karunasena Hettiarachchi of their position. This was in response to Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry alleging that claims by the Swiss envoy in Colombo Hanspeter Mock were not true.
The following is the Swiss government statement datelined Dec 02, Bern: “Following several demarches from the FDFA over the incident concerning an employee of the Swiss embassy in Colombo, State Secretary Pascale Baeriswyl has received the Sri Lankan ambassador to Switzerland based in Berlin, Karunasena Hettiarachchi, in Bern. Ms Baeriswyl confirmed at the meeting that Switzerland supports measures to investigate and settle this matter by due process of law. However, the employee concerned still cannot be questioned on health grounds.
“At the end of November, a local employee at the Swiss embassy in Colombo was detained on the street and threatened by unidentified men to force her to disclose embassy-related information. The FDFA responded to this incident through a series of demarches. The embassy reported the incident to the Sri Lankan authorities, calling for a swift and thorough investigation to be conducted.
“Ms Baeriswyl emphasised to the Sri Lankan ambassador that the FDFA would support all measures to investigate and resolve this matter by due process of law. She confirmed that the employee concerned still cannot be questioned on health grounds, stressing that the individual’s health must take priority. She also indicated that while Switzerland had no interest in delaying investigations by the Sri Lankan authorities, the FDFA takes its responsibilities to its staff very seriously.
“In conveying this message, Ms Baeriswyl was responding to a statement issued by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 1 December 2019, which questioned the embassy’s presentation of the facts. She also asked Ambassador Hettiarachchi to explain the purported evidence against the events described by the embassy, which the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs had alluded to in its press release.
She affirmed to Ambassador Hettiarachchi that Switzerland remained ready to take the necessary steps to restore confidence between Switzerland and Sri Lanka.”
(Source: The Island)
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GoSL do not give into this stunt from the Swiss – because if you give into this, you can be assured there will be many, many more such allegations of “abductions” “detained and questioned” “assaults” “sexual molestations” etc. that GoSL of newly elected Prez Gota will have to face on a never ending basis, basically to the point of paralyzing the GoSL and bringing it down – with no regard whatsoever that this GoSL currently has the overwhelming support and confidence of the citizens of Sri Lanka!
“Kidnapping” “Sexual Molestation” are universally recognized most severe crimes and that they are also so in Switzerland we acknowledge…and as such recognizing so, Switzerland must allow the police to question this alleged victim as without that questioning, the investigation cannot proceed any further, that is further than what GoSL has already investigated and stated – i.e. based on evidence so far – i.e. eye witness accounts, cell phone records, GPS records, etc. etc. – this so called crime did not happen!
Once again Prez Gota and new GoSL, do not cave in here meekly – as to do so will surely invite your downfall irrespective of the fact that you are today the overwhelmingly elected-with-popular-support GoSL today!
By this standard of the action of the Swiss Regime, there is nothing to criticise about Sri Lankan political figures seek the refuge of hospital each time they have the prospect of being remanded! When the father crab not walking a straight line, there is nothing wrong about son crab not doing the same, as the Sri lankan saying goes.
It is an absolute stupid joke Swiss are demanding an investigation while the accuser is hiding. Sri lankan government should follow the example of the British government in the affair of Julian Assange ( Wikipaedia leakes). Government should put a ring of police around the Swiss embassy in Colombo ” in order to provide the security to the Embassy and its staff in the event of Sri Lankan public unrest” and issue an arrest order for the employee to be produced before the court and to make her equivalent of a ward of court. If the accuser is not already inside the Embassy, that will prevent the person claiming political asylum there and then running away in the dark with a Swiss passport and continue mud slinging once outside the country.
Indra,
If you were captured by unknown people and bundled into a car and forced to open your phone with a pistol in your mouth, I belleieve you would have dropped dead on the spot.
This lady who works with the Swiss Embassy is storng to survive this incident.
The Security Forces in Sri Lanka treat civilians like rubbish.
A single incident with a Policeman can ruin the rest of one’s life.
The Security Authorities in Sri Lanka are ruthless sadists.
This ambassador seems to live up to his name Hanspeter MOCK. He has become the accuser and also playing the role of the defendant. When the local Police wants to record a statement from the alleged victim the ambassador says no on medical grounds. No valid Certificate is forwarded as generally expected .
Mr.Hanspeter MOCK please bow out and send us the Hanspeter GENUINE instead.
This sums it all: “Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Chief Dr. Deepika Udagama yesterday (03) said investigators should be given to access to the local employee of Switzerland Embassy (since she doesn’t have diplomatic immunity)allegedly abducted close to the diplomatic mission situated on the R.G. Senanayake Mawatha (formerly Gregory’s Road), molested and threatened by a group of unidentified persons on the evening of Nov 25.
Dr. Udagama said, “The HRCSL position is that an effective investigation required the cooperation and participation of all relevant parties – the victim, any witnesses etc.”