• P’ment Committee on Ethics and Privileges will probe allegation

The Parliamentary Committee on Ethics and Privileges will investigate the alleged incident where Opposition Parliamentarian Chandima Weerakkody claims to have been threatened by the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, and take appropriate actions, Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana said.

Speaking in Parliament on 6 October, Weerakkody, who was elected to Parliament from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), 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.

When queried by The Daily Morning as to whether he would look into the matter, Abeywardana said yesterday (08): “He (Weerakkody) has raised a privilege issue in this regard. It will accordingly be referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges. They will look into the incident, and take appropriate actions.”

The Daily Morning also asked Weerakkody as to whether he would resort to any other action such as lodging a complaint with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), in addition to raising a privileges issue in Parliament, he said that there was no need to do so as the Committee on Ethics and Privileges was empowered to look into an incident of that sort, and take appropriate actions.

“In the Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act, the offences against MPs are clearly set out. The Committee on Ethics and Privileges should refer such offences to the Supreme Court (SC) or Attorney General (AG). This is a matter that has to be taken up by the SC. When it is clearly set out, and all recordings of the incident are there, I do not think there is a necessity to lodge a complaint with the CID, unless otherwise the Committee decides to be partial.” He explained.

General Gunaratne and Lieutenant General Liyanage were not available for comment.

Speaking in Parliament last week, Weerakkody said: “The Defence Secretary and Army Commander gave threatening responses before the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security with regard to a statement 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, and he said yes. They continued to threaten me. This incident violated my MP privileges.”

Attempts to contact the Presidential Secretariat regarding the incident and the allegations levelled against the Secretary to the Defence Ministry, which the President presides over, failed.