Ranil tells govt. to charge Bathiudeen or release him

By Saman Indrajith

UNP leader Ranil Wickrermesinghe told the government in Parliament yesterday that it should prosecute All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) and Wanni District MP Rishad Bathiudeen if there was evidence to prove his involvement in the Easter Sunday carnage or release him.

“This is not a matter pertaining to a single MP but an issue concerning the privileges of all MPs and the government should not set a wrong precedent in this issue,” the UNP leader said raising a privilege issue in the House.

Wickremesinghe said that cases had been filed against some senior police officers who did their duties. Some DIGs and ASPs had been charged for not preventing the terror attacks, but they could not be accused of dereliction of duty.

The UNP Leader said that it has been 164 days since MP Bathiudeen had been taken into custody from the MP’s home over the Easter attacks. However, no charges had been pressed until now and no evidence had surfaced indicating his guilt. Charges had been filed against every other person purportedly involved in the Easter attacks but no charges had been leveled against MP Bathiudeen.

Wickremesinghe said that some sections of the report of the Presidential Commission the Easter attacks were withheld from parliament, and they should be released.

The former PM said that the officials investigating the Easter attacks had worked diligently and  responsibly and helped control the crisis situation.

Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella said that the Speaker, as the chief protector of the rights of MPs, had a responsibility to demand reasons the arrest at issue.

The Chief Opposition Whip said that Bathiudeen had been detained without charges, and that procedure as set out in the British Standing Orders ought to apply.