Bathiudeen lodges complaint against Weerawansa at CID

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarian and leader of the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) Rishad Bathiudeen lodged a complaint against Industries Minister Wimal Weerawansa at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday. 

Rishad Bathiudeen

According to a press release by MP Bathiudeen, the complaint cited remarks made by the Minister regarding alleged linkages between Bathuideen’s brother and the Easter Sunday bombers. 

The Opposition MP wrote to the head of the CID stating: “I feel it is unfair and unjust for Wimal Weerawansa to make such a false and misleading statement of this nature. This publicly declared statement has damaged my character substantially and has seriously impacted my political journey. It also stands to tarnish the image of the larger Muslim population in Sri Lanka.” 

Weerawansa had reportedly repeated a statement by a former Police Spokesman, that Rishad Bathiudeen’s brother, Riyaj Bathiudeen was in touch with Easter Sunday bomber Zaharan Hashim, while speaking on the topic of ‘Islamic Extremism: After the Easter Commission” on 9 March at Thunmulla. 

“In response, I wish to say that I, Rishad Bathiudeen and my brother, Riyaj Bathiudeen, have never in our lives, for any reason whatsoever, contacted Zahran Hashim, who was involved in the Easter attacks,” Bathiudeen said in a letter to the CID, calling for a full and impartial investigation into the said allegation and for charges to be pressed against Minister Weerawansa if his statements were found to be untrue.