• Govt. claims probes proceeding as requisite info received following technical issue 

The main Parliamentary Opposition Party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has raised concerns about the appointment of Dr. Hans Wijesuriya as the Chief Advisor to the President on the Digital Economy, alleging that the latter was involved in suppressing key evidence in the murder investigation of rugby player Wasim Thajudeen.  

Speaking in the Parliament yesterday (4), SJB Opposition Parliamentarian Mujibur Rahman criticised the appointment, claiming that it undermines the ongoing investigations into the said high-profile case. 

“In his inaugural speech, the President emphasised the importance of the rule of law and highlighted five controversial murder cases, including that of Thajudeen. Despite this, he has appointed Dr. Wijesuriya, who is accused of withholding crucial evidence, as an Advisor (Dr. Wijesuriya was the head of a telecommunications service provider at the time). 

“The latter didn’t provide important telephone records related to individuals like the former Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Anura Senanayake and late Chief Judicial Medical Officer of Colombo Prof. Ananda Samarasekara, which delayed the investigation,” Rahman claimed.  

Responding to these allegations, Cabinet Spokesperson and Chief Opposition Whip, Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa explained that the delay was due to a technical issue. “All the required information has now been received, and the investigations will proceed properly,” he told the Parliament.  

However, Rahman further argued that the delay in releasing the information was deliberate. “You (Dr. Jayatissa) were in the Opposition in 2015, so you must know what happened. Then-President Maithripala Sirisena and Ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Dr. Rajitha Senaratne had to summon the relevant company officials and tell the company that the Government will cancel their licence unless they agreed to release the information,” he said.