• Queries legal measures Govt. will take against econ bankrupters found by SC and related loss recovery actions 

The Parliamentary session was temporarily adjourned last morning (21) as a tense situation ensued while Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa was addressing the Chamber.

Premadasa’s comments concerning the economic crisis and the Supreme Court’s (SC) ruling against those responsible sparked uproar, forcing the Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana to call off the sitting briefly.

In his address, Premadasa mentioned that former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former President, Prime Minister and Finance Minister and incumbent Government Parliamentarian, attorney Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, former Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Governors Ajith Nivard Cabraal and Prof. W.D. Lakshman, former Treasury and Finance Ministry Secretary S.R. Attygalle, former Presidential Secretary P.B. Jayasundara, and the CBSL’s Monetary Board members (with certain exceptions) continue to enjoy their privileges despite the SC’s 14 November judgment having held them accountable for the economic crisis. These individuals have no respect for the SC’s judgment, Premadasa said, adding that all Sri Lankan citizens continue to pay for the incorrect decisions made by them. He emphasised that the Government cannot be lenient toward these individuals as the entire country is on alert as to what action would be taken against them. 

As Premadasa raised questions about the Government’s stance on the matter, the legal measures which the Government intends to implement against them and if the Government would recover the losses incurred by the State due to those mentioned in the Court’s judgment, the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Party MPs interrupted the address and later approached Premadasa’s seat.

As the ruckus grew out of hand, Speaker Abeywardana suspended the Parliamentary session and walked out of the Chamber.

Meanwhile, Chief Opposition Whip and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) member, attorney Lakshman Kiriella requested Speaker Abeywardana to take disciplinary action against a group of MPs including Sanath Nishantha.

Kiriella made this request from Speaker Abeywardana, when the Parliamentary session resumed after a group of MPs interrupted SJB Leader Premadasa during a question he raised at the 2024 Budget debate last morning. The session was briefly adjourned earlier when the uproar broke out.

Kiriella highlighted that Premadasa had raised the question in concern with the permission of the Speaker, implying that such an interruption was uncalled for.

Thus, Speaker Abeywardana too, in response to the request made by Kiriella, had assured that the matter would be probed.

Meanwhile, MP Nishantha is said to have snatched Premadasa’s binder containing official documents during the commotion.