PTA to be Repealed This Year, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake Says

27-Jun-2026

.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) will be repealed before the end of this year and replaced with legislation specifically targeting organised crime while safeguarding democratic rights.

Addressing Parliament during the debate on combating drug trafficking, the President said his government is committed to eliminating organised crime, corruption, money laundering and political protection for criminal networks. He defended ongoing investigations into corruption and past political killings, insisting they are legal processes rather than acts of political revenge.

He also pledged to prosecute anyone, including members of the military or intelligence services, found to have committed crimes for political purposes. The President said investigations into several high-profile murders and attacks on journalists would continue without interference.

Dissanayake revealed that billions of rupees had been illegally transferred overseas through fraudulent advance payment schemes and confirmed that arrests and investigations involving financial institutions are underway. He added that several suspects had fled abroad but efforts were being made to bring them back through international legal mechanisms.

On drug control, he said the government had arrested numerous suspects, recovered large quantities of narcotics and illegal weapons, and introduced stricter prison measures to prevent criminal operations from being run from inside prisons.

He emphasised that while crime would be tackled firmly, democratic freedoms would be protected. Citizens, he said, would continue to have the right to criticise the government without fear.