JO MP Dilum Amunugama questioned over racist statements during Kandy riots

• Questioned for over 10 hours by the Terrorism Investigations Division

By Skandha Gunasekara

Joint Opposition parliamentarian Dilum Amunugama was questioned yesterday by the Terrorism Investigations Division (TID) over public statements he had made inciting racism. 

Police media spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara told the Daily FT that the MP was being questioned over racist statements he had made during communal violence in the Kandy District. 

“He is being questioned concerning the public statements he had made in various places in the Theldeniya area which were racist in nature,” SP Gunasekara revealed.

The Joint Opposition parliamentarian appeared before the TID yesterday at around 11.30 a.m. and was questioned for over 10 hours, with him being questioned even at the time this paper went to press. 

SP Gunasekara said that the TID had already filed a B report at the Theldeniya magistrate court against MP Amunugama.

“He was initially summoned by the TID for questioning on 10 May but the MP had requested a later date as he had to attend Parliament on that day,” the Police Spokesman said. 

Over 300 suspects were arrested in connection with the communal unrest that engulfed the Kandy District recently, including an Sri Lanka Freedom Party Local Government Councillor, a leader of the Sinhala extremist group Mahason Balakaya, Amith Weerasinghe, and a former member of the armed forces.

Weerasinghe, along with other detainees remanded for the same incident, were further remanded until 28 May.