Saturday, 26 July 2014 05:03
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By Ashwin Hemmathagama Our Lobby Correspondent
The issue of the two suspicious characters on a motorcycle wearing full-face helmets following Upul Jayasuriya, the President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, on his way from Hulftsdorp to his residence at Pelawatte heated the House yesterday, with the Prime Minister evading the vehicle registration details.
“The registration number WP UB 4072 seen on the motorcycle and the three-wheeler 207-5314 are false. The Department of Motor Traffic long discontinued issuing vehicle registration numbers with the grand total arriving at 13,” justified Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne, who assured these vehicles did not exist.
However, Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe raising concerns about a “Government conspiracy to kill Upul Jayasuriya” charged the Government was “not providing adequate security” and hiding the registration details of the motorcycle and the three-wheeler.
“Apparently, no details are available in the database of the Department of Motor Traffic in respect of either the motorcycle or the three-wheeler. Surprisingly, however, the details of the vehicles bearing the numbers immediately preceding and immediately following the numbers of these vehicles are available. No explanation has been given for the gap in the numbering. Certain vehicles are held back if they are connected with special security operations. Unless these two fall in this category, the details should be available,” said Wickremesinghe, assuring 13 is an issue for Christians but not for any other religion.
According to Wickremesinghe, a complaint has been lodged at the Cinnamon Gardens Police. “The motorcyclist had followed Jayasuriya from Hulftsdorp to Galadari Hotel where he had remained for about half an hour, during which period these motorcyclists had remained outside the hotel, notwithstanding that this was a high security area in front of the Presidential Secretariat. Thereafter Jayasuriya had proceeded to an office at Sir Ernest de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 7, and had been followed by the same motorcyclists, who remained there for two to three hours. The motorcyclists had also been seen talking to two persons in the three-wheeler with registration 207-5314.
“Two motorcyclists had also been observing Jayasuriya’s residence on 15 July and 17 July and a complaint had been made in this regard to the Thalangama Police Station. The authorities however failed to trace any details regarding these suspicious persons or even their vehicles.”
