• Oppo. takes up an incident of alleged threat by Defence Secy. & Army Cmdr. to MP Chandima Weerakkody
• Speaker says hands tied per P’ment decision against release outside P’ment but Privileges Comm. can request and receive  

The Parliamentary Opposition accused the Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana for not protecting Parliamentarians’ privileges, following his refusal to release video footage related to the recent incident of the Defence Ministry Secretary and the Army Commander having allegedly threatened Opposition MP, attorney Chandima Weerakkody at a Parliamentary committee.

Speaking in the Parliament on 6 October, Weerakkody, who was elected to the Parliament from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, and is now an Opposition MP, claimed that he had been threatened by Defence Ministry Secretary (General [Retired] Kamal Gunaratne) and Army Commander (Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage), at a Parliamentary committee room.

During the Parliamentary session yesterday (17), Weerakkody informed the Speaker that he had requested for the relevant video footage, but that it had not been provided to him thus far. “This matter has now been referred to the Parliamentary Committee on Ethics and Privileges. As MPs, we have a right to stand against the unnecessary expenditure of public funds. If we are threatened for doing so, it is an issue that affects the entire Parliament. Therefore, I need the relevant video footage.”

In response to him, Speaker Abeywardana said that the footage would not be released outside of the Parliament as per a decision which had been taken by the Parliament itself. “We don’t release footage to outside parties. It is a decision made by the Parliament, and I have no ability to make a change to that decision.”

Following the Speaker’s refusal to release the relevant video footage, Chief Opposition Whip and Samagi Jana Balawegaya Opposition MP, attorney Lakshman Kiriella said that the Speaker was bound to protect the MPs’ privileges, and that he should therefore release the video footage in question. “Do you (Speaker) promise that this footage will be given to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges? You don’t always protect the rights of the MPs. Instead, you protect those of the Executive, and the President’s Secretary,” he charged.

In response to Kiriella, Abeywardana said that the video footage could be played before the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, but that it is not possible for it to be taken outside of the Parliament. “The Ethics and Privileges Committee can obtain it at any time. We will provide it to them if a request is made.”

Speaking in the Parliament recently, Weerakkody claimed: “The Defence Secretary and the Army Commander gave threatening responses before the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security with regard to a statement that I made in Parliament about the misuse of vehicles by high-ranking officers of the Army. The Defence Secretary behaved like a bully, and I asked him whether he was threatening me, to which he said yes. They continued to threaten me. This incident violated my MP privileges.”