Sarath Fonseka wants IGP summoned to substantiate Sirisena’s assassination claims

Professing his innocence,UNP MP Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka yesterday called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to be summoned before Parliament within 48 hours to reveal the truth about allegations of his involvement in an assassination plot against President Maithripala Sirisena, insisting Parliament should be given reasons for such public statements.

Sarath Fonseka

Fonseka also challenged Sirisena to arrest him over the intelligence reports Namal Kumara had given about the alleged assassination plot he had masterminded. (AH)

MP Fonseka, who labelled President Sirisena’s statements linking him to the alleged assassination attempt as unfair, requested Speaker Jayasuriya to get the Inspector General of Police to conduct an investigation and make arrests. 

“I am a member of the esteemed Parliament, it is a serious accusation for the President to point to me for planning to assassinate him. This violates my privileges. I request the Speaker to inform the Inspector General of Police to take action on this matter. 

“You can summon the IGP to Parliament within the next 48 hours. They should arrest me. Failing which,reasons should be given in Parliament for making such statements. Long ago President Sirisena used to say that he would be six feet under if Mahinda Rajapaksacame to power. If Rajapaksa had a plan to kill President Sirisena I don’t see any issue with me being appointed Prime Minister. Why am I treated differently? I know this is hilarious, but I need justice done here. I am apart of a team here in Parliament and it will be an issue to harbour a killer like me,” explained MP Fonseka.

MP Fonseka, who was on his feet in Parliament yesterday,held that he should be under arrest for plotting to assassinate the President of Sri Lanka. Unless he was not arrested and proven guilty, the President’s statement about his involvement violated his character and parliamentary privileges.

“Almost four-six weeks before, The Sunday Times stated that the President, addressing a UPFA group meeting,stated that I have plotted to assassinate him. Namal Kumara tells all these stories to the President. Namal Kumara is some sort of intelligence officer or a spy working for the President. Perhaps Namal is an unofficial head of some other intelligence unit. While providing intelligence advice to the President, Namal is to contest under the SLPP,” said MP Fonseka.

Highlighting President Sirisena’s continuous alleged attempts to tarnish his image, Fonseka went on to say that his involvement was mentioned recently at a meeting with foreign correspondents in Sri Lanka as well. 

“The President, addressing foreign correspondents in Sri Lanka, held that he would appoint neither Rail Wickremesinghe nor Sarath Fonseka as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. I never had a dream of becoming the Prime Minster. I don’t know the reason why he had such dangerous dreams. The President has also held that Sarath Fonseka has planned to assassinate him so that was why he was unsuitable to be the Prime Minister,” he said.(AH)