• State Defence Min. notes need for policy decision on recovery, IGP/OICs/SIS told to act in the interim, Firearms Law to be amended soon 

Following reports that more than 100 out of 150 Parliamentarians who were provided with weapons during the period from 1980 to 1990 are yet to return them, The Daily Morning learns that there are political parties that are still in possession of hundreds of weapons that were issued during the same period.

In response to a question raised by an MP, State Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon stated in Parliament that the majority of MPs who were provided with weapons during the period between 1980 and 1990 were yet to return them. According to the answer tabled in Parliament, more than 100 out of 150 MPs who were provided with weapons during the said period had failed to return them to the authorities thus far.

Speaking to The Daily Morning on the matter, Tennakoon said that weapons had been issued to MPs as well as political parties in the late 1980s. "Weapons were issued to both MPs and political parties due to the conflict situations in the 1980s. Some parties have received more than 100 weapons. The issue is that some MPs and Secretaries of such political parties are no more. This is a matter that dates back more than 30 years."

When queried as to whether the Government would initiate any action to get the relevant MPs and political parties to return the weapons, he said that the Government would have to take a policy decision in that regard. "The problem in getting these weapons returned is that some MPs and political party Secretaries to whom the weapons were issued are no more. Therefore, we have to make a policy decision. Until then, we have informed the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the relevant Police Officers-in-Charge (OICs) and the State Intelligence Service (SIS) to take necessary action."

Tennakoon further said that the Government is currently in the process of amending the Firearms Ordinance, through which it is expected to find a solution to this issue. "The Ordinance was drafted decades ago. We are currently in the process of amending it. It is now with the Attorney General's (AG) Department. Once the AG's clearance is received, we can get it passed by Parliament. We hope that we will be able to do something about this issue with the amendment of this Ordinance."