IOM chief still un-investigated after fatal accident
The police in Sri Lanka consulted with the attorney general after the chief of IOM in Sri Lanka was involved in a deadly crash that killed a woman in Colombo. The IOM chief left the scene of the accident and has refused take part in the normal police procedure that is carried out after a fatal accident which should have included a breathlelizer test. The IOM chief is said to have exercised his diplomatic immunity and left the scene of the accident without even assisting the injured. The on-lookers and other vehicles has rushed the injured to hospital where one succumbed to her injuries.
It is sad to see a head of an international non-profit organization that promotes humanity has acted in this inhumane way and eluded the due process and rule of law that they claim to instill in developing countries.
It is sad to see a head of an international non-profit organization that promotes humanity has acted in this inhumane way and eluded the due process and rule of law that they claim to instill in developing countries.
posted by lanka matha at 12/27/2006 10:11:00 PM
20 Comments:
I heard about this incident a few days ago. Has IOM reacted to this news?
yes. they have promptly sent the IOM head home.
Is that all he gets for killing a Sri Lankan citizen? Why are there different laws for ordinary people and diplomats?
It's called the Vienna convention.
Typical example of Sri Lankan prime cut corruption by the high ranking officials.....another statistic.
Vienna convention does not prohibit someone from taking a person he's just run over to the hospital. Someone should put a bullet through his head (and his children) if he comes back to Sri Lanka.
My understanding, based on talking to eyewitnesses (I live very close to the scene of the accident) is that the van carrying the deceased girl came ruching into the intersection at a remarkably high speed and that there was very little the driver of the sedan could have done to avoid this tragedy. It could have happen to anyone driving in Colombo.
Had the deceased been wearing her seatbelt she would have survived, had the driver of the van not been speeding she would have survived.
Regarding the action of the sedan driver after the accident, it is perfectly understandable that he leaves, especially given the hateful comments made by my anonymous friend here. His passanger did notify the police, and neither of them have the kind of first aid training that is necessary to treat persons with injuries such as the young girl that dies in this accident.
Sometimes, especially when van- or bus drivers drive the way they do here, accidents happen and people die. Sad, but not something we should blame this particular guest in our country for.
So would that be ok if one did that in his country?
Why did he not drive to the police and subject himself to the normal procedure?
No ones blaming him for the accident. What he did wrong was not subjecting himself to the due process. Simply, if he wasn't under the influence of alcohol, this incident would be nothing but an accident.
He did follow due process. As a representative of an intergovernmental orgainsaiton (not an NGO), he has diplomatic immunity granted by the Sri Lankan government. This means that he cannot be prosecuted for acts performed in the country. That's just the way it works. Same thing with MR, he has immunity from prosecution due to his job.
As for his alleged intoxication - how likely is it that this man would drink before going for an early morning round of golf?
I don't want to engage you in debate here. But that exactly what I am saying. You are agreeing with me that the "due process" he chose to carry out was to exercise his diplomatic rights. I am not arguing he had the right to do what he did nor am I saying it was not an accident. I merely saying that as the chief of IOM (not a ambassador or such) he should have stood out and not use his diplomatic rights (like did the member of British diplomatic staff when he accidently took a picture of the president's entourage) and co-operated with the police.
As for intoxication, could it be that he is returning from a late night party? Are you naive enough to not know that foreigners in Sri Lanka party till sunrise? Because he followed "due process" we'd never know, would we?
Agree, let us not debate this further.
But as for the alcohol theory - many foreigners (and Sri Lankans) do indeed party till sunrise, but that does not mean they all do. Many tamils perform acts of terrorism, but that doesn't mean all tamils do. Many Sinhala men are corrupt and violent, but that doesn't mean we all are. This man was, together with a very VIP friend, on his way to the golf course for an early morning round of golf. That is a fact, unlike the innuendo about intoxication. Check the tee-off bookings at the golf club if you like, or ask eyewitnesses about how the men were dressed - not exactly club dress..
I admit if the golf booking was indeed made then this is only a very unfortunate mishap. But what I merely said was that the innuendo about the intoxication could have been all but avoided had to done what most of us would have done in a similar situation: ie to consult with the local authorities. After all he is in the line of social work. Instead he chose to play the diplomatic immunity card. Sympathies to the family of the killed and if infact that is what happened, I hope the IOM chief comes back and continue his work in SL.
I doubt he will come back after he received nighttime phone calls threathening the life of his infant son....especially after the recent castration of this Rupahivini (sp?) journalists baby boy...Sri Lankans are a friendly and civilised bunch.
No wonder tourism numbers are falling and the economy is in shambles.
coward wrote:
Someone should put a bullet through his head (and his children) if he comes back to Sri Lanka
I hope, sir, that you can live with yourself.
Recent castration of baby boy? What have you been smoking?
Recent castration of baby boy? What have you been smoking?
B&H Lights. Have you read the papers recently?
I am referring to the attack two weeks ago on 10-month old Thidas, son of SLRC News Editor Indika Marasinghe.
Unknown assailants entered the Marasinghe family home and mutilated the genitals of Thidas, making sure the damage was irreparable by actually taking some parts of the babys genitals with them.
Just your average friendly and civilised Sri Lankan way of settling a score...
dfgdgdg
I hope all of you have by now seen the write up titled, No evidence against IOM Chief says AG...
It reads, " Christopher Gascon, IOM's Chief of Mission, who was involved in a accident in Colombo last year was discharged this week by the Traffic Court Magistrate in Hultsdorf on the recommendations of the Attorney General.
Mr Gascon was a suspect in an accident on December 6 last eyar at the Horton Place, Kingsley Road junction, that killed an V FM radio journalist.
Cinnamon Gardens Traffic OIC had informed the Attorney General's Department that there was no evidence to suspect that Mr Gascon was at fault in the accident and had proceeded to discharge him.
The driver of the van in which the female journalist was travelling has been released on bail with a surety. The case has been fixed for April 24.
Lawyers Surin Pieris, Mahasena Munasinghe and Sharmila Amarawikcrema appeared for Mr Gascon, while A. Guruge appeared for the van driver and Nelson de SIlva for the deceased.
Pls refer Sunday Times of 19 March, page 8
I hope all of you have by now seen the write up titled, No evidence against IOM Chief says AG...
It reads, " Christopher Gascon, IOM's Chief of Mission, who was involved in a accident in Colombo last year was discharged this week by the Traffic Court Magistrate in Hultsdorf on the recommendations of the Attorney General.
Mr Gascon was a suspect in an accident on December 6 last eyar at the Horton Place, Kingsley Road junction, that killed an V FM radio journalist.
Cinnamon Gardens Traffic OIC had informed the Attorney General's Department that there was no evidence to suspect that Mr Gascon was at fault in the accident and had proceeded to discharge him.
The driver of the van in which the female journalist was travelling has been released on bail with a surety. The case has been fixed for April 24.
Lawyers Surin Pieris, Mahasena Munasinghe and Sharmila Amarawikcrema appeared for Mr Gascon, while A. Guruge appeared for the van driver and Nelson de SIlva for the deceased.
Pls refer Sunday Times of 19 March, page 8
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