RIZANA'S JOB SPONSORS DULY PUNISHED

CHAMIKARA WEERASINGHE

All suspects involved in the making of fake documents to send Rizana Nafeek to Saudi Arabia as a domestic aide, have been put through legal process and punished under Sri Lankan law, the Criminal Investigation Department has confirmed to the Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare.

According to Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment sources, the Criminal Investigation Department has officially informed this to the Ministry in response to a written request made in this regard by Ministry Secretary Nissanka N Wijeratna.

Rizana Nafeek was beheaded in Saudi under Sharia Law over allegations that she had killed an infant under her care.

She was put to the executioner's blade despite numerous clemency pleas by the Sri Lankan government and international rights groups.

Countries, such as, France and the UK condemned the execution of Rizana. The European Union, UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-Moon voiced their dismay over it.

The Asian Human Rights Commission said in a letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and UN High Commissioner that Nafeek's execution was "nothing less than murder."

President Mahinda Rajapaksa requested the Saudi King to release Rizana Nafeek when she was in a Saudi prison.

She was a minor according to her original birth certificate. Rizana's job agents have falsified her age to get work for her in Saudi as a house maid.

The CID investigation has confirmed to the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, the three persons accused of falsifying her documents, were punished by the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court sentenced the first and second accused in the case, Mohideen Wajudeen of Kollupitiya and Shahul Hameed Abul Latif of Muttur to a term of two years imprisonment with hard labour and imposed a fine of Rs 60 0000 on each.

The Court sentenced the third accused, Thambi Lebbe Abdul Salaam of Beruwala, to a term of two years imprisonment with hard labour and suspended the sentence for five years.

The Court imposed a fine of Rs fine 10,000 on him. The three accused have pleaded guilty to the charges, The CID confirmed.