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SJB alleges witch hunt against Manusha

21 Jul 2021

  • Comes one day after his allegations over Police traffic project
BY Buddhika Samaraweera Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday (21) accused the Government of starting a political witch hunt against SJB MP Manusha Nanayakkara for making allegations on Tuesday (20) regarding a Police traffic project. Speaking to the media during a protest in Divulapitiya yesterday, Premadasa alleged that the Ahangama Police and the Habaraduwa Police had been instructed by high-level authorities to investigate all possible matters pertaining to Nanayakkara. “Nanayakkara made a revelation on Tuesday (20) regarding a conflict of interest. He informed Parliament of an irregularity taking place in the Police Department. Public Security Minister Dr. Sarath Weerasekera was informed of this too. He did his duty for the country and the people, but the political witch hunt targeting MPs began the moment after his revelation,” he claimed. Speaking further, Premadasa also claimed that officers of the Ahangama Police and the Habaraduwa Police have allegedly been instructed by high-level authorities to investigate every possible matter pertaining to Nanayakkara. "The Ahangama Police and the Habaraduwa Police have been told to find out everything about Nanayakkara. The political witch hunt targeting MPs has begun. We in the SJB are not afraid of it, and are ready to make any sacrifice for the people of this country," Premadasa added. Several attempts to contact Dr. Weerasekera, Public Security Ministry Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Jagath Alwis, and Dr. Weerasekera’s Private Secretary Maduranga Perera, to inquire into the allegations levelled by Premadasa, proved futile. Speaking in Parliament on 20 July, Nanayakkara alleged that two former board members of a certain company that imports equipment required for a project to modernise the Police traffic system have been appointed as members of a sub-committee appointed to call for a report on the same project. “This proposal states that the equipment required for this project will be imported by a certain company. The advisor you (a reference to Dr. Weerasekera) have appointed to that sub-committee is an individual who has also worked in that private company. He has also served as a member of the board of directors of the said company, and I have the relevant appointment letter,” he claimed, commenting on the sub-committee appointed to prepare a report on the project. Speaking further, Nanayakkara alleged that another person from a State information technology company had also been appointed to the said sub-committee, and that he too had been a member of the board of directors of the aforesaid company. Accordingly, a tailor-made Cabinet paper has been submitted as per the wishes of this company (the company alleged to be engaged in the importation of the equipment needed for the project), he claimed. “There is information and reports that this matter has been discussed where it has been stated that ‘the Police per year receives Rs. 4.7 billion in fines and we shall take Rs. 83 million a month from those fines as a rental’. Even the audio recordings pertaining to such are in our possession,” Nanayakkara further claimed. He further said that all relevant files would be tabled in Parliament, and that he hoped to lodge complaints in this regard with the President and all the other relevant authorities. A proposal submitted to the Police regarding the project in question was tabled by Nanayakkara. Dr. Weerasekera subsequently requested the presiding MP of the House for an opportunity to deliver a complete response to this matter at the next Parliamentary sitting. 


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