MP Hakeem raises privilege issue

By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent

United National Party (UNP) MP Rauff Hakeem raising a privilege issue in Parliament yesterday requested the Speaker to conduct an investigation over a complaint received at the Police Headquarters seeking his arrest.

According to MP Hakeem, media had reported a retired military officer lodging a complaint at the Police Headquarters calling for his arrest citing a television news bulletin aired on 23-25 October last year. 

“It showed video clips of a visit to a hospital to inquire after Rowland, the brother of the Easter Sunday terror attacker Zahran. This is incorrect. In the aftermath of the Easter Sunday attack, numerous interrogations were carried out by the Criminal Investigations Department and the Terrorist Investigations Department on multiple dimensions of the suicide terror attacks carried out by Zahran Hashim and Rilwan and few others,” he said, highlighting the alleged request for his arrest is unfair and unnecessary.

Hakeem rejecting any involvement in the Easter Sunday attacks held in Parliament that neither he nor his party members had links with the extremists. “In the wake of the Presidential Election in 2019 too, many vicious theatricals were staged to implicate me with these terrorists, to cause disrepute and disharmony. At this instance too I have spoken in Parliament and in media conferences clarifying my position and dispelling baseless accusations,” he added.

Explaining the reasons for his controversial visit to the hospital seen in the news bulletin MP Hakeem held that it happened at the aftermath of M.L.A.M. Hizbullah’s defeat at the General Elections held in 2015.  

“I noted in the so-called video that Zahran too has been seated amidst those crowds gathered that day that protested against Hizbullah’s appointment to the national list. Moreover, my meeting with those injured in the hospital, post-August 22 incident was an open, public event and was not a clandestine secret meeting. I visited the hospital in the presence of Deputy Inspector General of Police – Batticaloa, other Police officers and media,” said Hakeem.

“Unfortunately nobody knew that one of them who was in the hospital at that time was a terrorist. I wish to strongly assert with absolute conviction and sincerity to my conscience the fact of having had no such knowledge about them,” he confirmed.