Abduction allegations a conspiracy to bring Govt. to disrepute says Yapa

The allegations directed at the government regarding the abductions of Premakumar Gunaratnam and Dimuthu Attygalle are a part of an international conspiracy to bring the government to disrepute, acting Media Minister and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena stated.

The acting Minister categorically denied all allegations regarding the government’s involvement in these abductions while stating that the government of Australia had requested the Sri Lankan authorities find one of their citizens named Noel Mudalige and send him back which the government had done.

Speaking at a press conference held yesterday he said that the government cannot forcefully keep the citizens of another country.

Answering a question directed to him by a journalist regarding why the police had not looked into who was responsible for the abductions, the Minister replied stating that the Sri Lankan police are not capable of looking into everything. He added that he did not believe that any police force in the world could do so.

The acting Minister further stated that Gunaratnam was operating in Sri Lanka using three different passports registered under the names, Ratnayake Mudiyansalage Daya Lal, Wanninayake Mudiyansalage Dascon and Noel Mudalige while adding that since his passport was expired, he has been blacklisted and would have to be considered carefully before being granted visa to reenter the country.