Wednesday, 22 April 2015 01:19
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By Ashwin Hemmathagama
Our Lobby Correspondent
Opposition lawmakers ended a 24-hour protest yesterday by responding to a request made by Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa at the start of the day’s proceedings. However they were quick to turn the debate into a heated argument on member privileges and bribery allegations made against former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and MP Tissa Attanayake.
House Leader, Plantation Industries Minister Lakshman Kiriella, who turned down the request to consider former President Mahinda Rajapaksa a Member of Parliament, said: “The Former President is no longer a Member of Parliament and he has no parliamentary privileges. The Bribery Commission has the right to investigate the facts if a monetary transaction takes place when the appointment of Minister is conducted.”
In response, MP Tissa Attanayake rejected the bribery allegations. “The Bribery Commission in a letter informed me that the acceptance of the post of Health Minister in the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government was wrong. Even after this complaint was made a decision was taken not to investigate the matter. But to fulfil the interest of a certain individual this complaint was investigated. I took a political decision being a UNP member and by resigning from the post of Secretary General. If I have done something wrong, action can be taken,” he said.
“We don’t agree with Lakshman Kiriella. This is a issue over privileges. According to Wijeyadasa, he is trying to apply it to the Bribery Laws. At that time the President was in power and had the authority to perform his duties despite calling for elections.”
UPFA MP Bandula Gunawardena, expressing his gratitude to parliamentary officers for allowing them to continue the protest, said: “For the first time in history we were here in Parliament. With the signatures of 107 members we present to you a document against Dilrukshi Dias Wickremasinghe for violating the Constitution. She has sent the complaint to the former President without the knowledge of the fellow members of the Commission. We say that she has violated the 17th and 22nd clause of the Bribery Commission Act by publishing it in the newspapers. She has been given another charge sheet for accepting two salaries. On the other hand she has a complaint for illegally occupying a forest reserve. We will bring another proposal with 113 signatures.”
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who joined the debate, said: “There is no bribery charge against (former) President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He has been summoned to provide a statement concerning bribery charges against Tissa Attanayake. His layers can obtain an injunction if he is not willing to give the statement by going there. I have provided former presidents with security which was not there before. Now the public is pointing its finger at me, charging me with protecting the corrupt and Mahinda Rajapaksa. At least I had the guts to telephone him immediately after he lost.”
“Nobody joined in search of ministerial posts. Some were given minster posts as part of the decision the President took. There are no SLFP members but all represent the UPFA. The Director General of the Bribery Commission Dilrukshi Wickremasinghe is known to me first. Don’t drag my wife into this. I got to know her husband Deepal Wickremasinghe first,” added PM Wickremesinghe.
