- Says no plans to resign despite P’ment ganging up
Despite Parliamentary party leaders deciding to call on all Parliamentarians to make an official request to Muslim National Alliance Puttalam District MP Ali Sabri Raheem, who had smuggled a consignment of gold and mobile phones into the country, to relinquish his seat in Parliament, the latter is not willing to step down as an MP, The Daily Morning learned.
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) General Secretary and MP Attorney Sagara Kariyawasam told The Daily Morning that Parliamentary party leaders had, at the Parliamentary Business Committee meeting held last week, decided to call on all MPs representing the Government and the Opposition to make an official request to Raheem to step down. “Almost every MP is of the view that what he (Raheem) did should be condemned. Whether Raheem represents the Government or the Opposition is not the issue.”
However, when The Daily Morning queried regarding whether he would resign, taking into account such a request, Raheem said that he would not do so. “I have not received any request and also have no plans of resigning.”
Meanwhile, claiming that there is no action that the Parliament can take against Raheem, Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana on Sunday (28) suggested that concerned parties should take the matter before the courts. “According to the law, there is nothing that the Parliament can do. This is something that has to be dealt with at the court level. Concerned parties should seek any action by taking the case to courts,” he said.
Raheem, who had arrived on flydubai flight FZ 547, was intercepted at the Very Important Person (VIP) terminal as he tried to exit the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake. Subsequently, he had been fined Rs. 7.5 million by the Customs, after which he had been released. The Customs had seized 3.397 kg of gold jewellery and biscuits valued at Rs. 74 million as well as 91 smartphones worth Rs. 4.2 million, which had been discovered in the possession of the MP.