News
Enough grounds for Sirisena’s arrest – lawyers
By Saman Indrajith and Norman Palihawadane
Former President Maithripala Sirisena is scheduled to make a statement to the CID, today, on a controversial claim he made in Kandy on Friday (22) that he knew who had masterminded the Easter Sunday terror attacks (2019). Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles ordered the police to launch a probe into Sirisena’s claim.
Amidst calls for his arrest for having suppressed the truth, Sirisena amended his statement, on Saturday (23), claiming that he had received new information only three weeks back.
Lawyers said that Sirisena had violated a number of provisions of several statutes, including the Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and the Prevention of Terrorism Act. “Why did he keep this vital information under wraps for three weeks,” a senior lawyer said.
Sirisena said he was ready to share the information with judges in camera. “It could be kept from the public eye only until the judgement on the matter is released. There is no way of keeping evidence in camera a secret forever,” he said.
SJB Gampaha District MP Dr Kavinda Jayawardena was the first to lodge a complaint against Sirisena. It was followed by a complaint from Lawyers for Justice (LfJ). “If the CID and other respective bodies do not act fast, we are ready to get a writ from the Appeal Court against them including the Attorney General and the CID to conduct a probe,” LfJ’s Attorney-at-Law ManoJ Nanayakkara said. Attorney-at-Law Amila Udawatte of the Lawyers for Truth and Justice said as per the Section 21 of the Criminal Procedure Code, Sirisena had committed an offence. He should be arrested immediately and detained for questioning. We are waiting to see what the CID will do.”
Spokesman for the Catholic Church, Director of National Catholic Mass Communications Rev. Fr. Jude Krishantha Fernando, said that law enforcement authorities should take Sirisena into custody immediately and interrogate him. “There is reason to believe that Sirisena is enacting a political drama as the fifth anniversary of the Easter Sunday tragedy is approaching. Whatever his intentions, he has committed a serious offence. We are waiting to see how our law enforcing authorities will respond,” Rev. Fernando said.
Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa, addressing the media after donating a smart-classroom to the Abhayapura Primary School, Lunugamvehera, said that the entire nation wanted to know who was responsible for the Easter Sunday terror attacks, and former President Sirisena had to reveal who it was.
Minister Alles, on Saturday, instructed IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon to launch an investigation into Sirisena’s claim immediately. Tennakoon, speaking to the media after meeting Chief Incumbent of the Asgiriya Maha Viharaya, Ven Narampanawe in Kandy, yesterday, said that he had ordered the CID to record a statement from Sirisena within 48 hours.
Asked whether Sirisena could be taken into custody, the IGP said it was too early to make an arrest but it could be prompted by the way Sirisena prefers to share whatever information he was said to possess.
Sirisena announced yesterday evening that he would visit the CID Headquarters on Monday (25) to make a statement.Police Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa said that Sirisena had informed the CID that he would be present at the CID Headquarters today.
News
Karu argues against scrapping MPs’ pension as many less fortunate members entered Parliament after ’56
Former Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya has written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressing concerns over the proposed abolition of MPs’ pensions.The letter was sent in his capacity as Patron of the Former Parliamentarians’ Caucus.
In his letter, Jayasuriya noted that at the time of Sri Lanka’s independence, political participation was largely limited to an educated, affluent land-owning elite. However, he said a significant social transformation took place after 1956, enabling ordinary citizens to enter politics.
He warned that under current conditions, removing parliamentary pensions would effectively confine politics to the wealthy, business interests, individuals engaged in illicit income-generating activities, and well-funded political parties. Such a move, he said, would discourage honest social workers and individuals of modest means from entering public life.
Jayasuriya also pointed out that while a small number of former MPs, including himself, use their pensions for social and charitable purposes, the majority rely on the pension as a primary source of income.
He urged the President to give due consideration to the matter and take appropriate action, particularly as the government prepares to draft a new constitution.The Bill seeking to abolish pensions for Members of Parliament was presented to Parliament on 07 January by Minister of Justice and National Integration Dr. Harshana Nanayakkara.
Five suspects, including former Minister Johnston Fernando and his two sons, who were arrested by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID), were further remanded until 30 January by the Wattala Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
The former Minister’s , sons Johan Fernando and Jerome Kenneth Fernando, and two others, were arrested in connection with the alleged misuse of a Sathosa vehicle during Fernando’s tenure as Minister.
Investigations are currently underway into the alleged misuse of state property, including a lorry belonging to Lanka Sathosa, which reportedly caused a significant financial loss to the state.
In connection with the same incident, Indika Ratnamalala, who served as the Transport Manager of Sathosa during
Fernando’s tenure as Minister of Co-operatives and Internal Trade, was arrested on 04 January.
After being produced before the Wattala Magistrate’s Court, he was ordered to be remanded in custody until 09 January.The former Sathosa Transport Manager was remanded on charges of falsifying documents.
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) yesterday informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that indictments had been filed in the Colombo High Court against former Minister and NDF Badulla District MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake over a corruption allegation.
The Bribery Commission notified the court when the case, in this regard, was taken up yesterday before Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama.
At the hearing, the CIABOC notified the court that indictments had been presented before the Colombo High Court against the accused.
Accordingly, concluding the proceedings before the Magistrate’s Court, the Magistrate ordered MP Dassanayake to appear before the High Court once a notice was issued.
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