Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today raised concerns over the attempts to arrest Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Harin Fernando in connection to the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.
Raising a point of order in Parliament, the United National Party (UNP) Leader said despite India alerting the Sri Lankan Police Intelligence of the attacks, hours prior to the incident, the local authorities had failed to take any action.
He said at a time when the Police itself had failed to initiate action, how could MP Fernando be questioned over a forewarning from his family.
MP Wickremesinghe further condemned the attempts by the Police to interrogate MP Harin Fernando in this regard.
Pointing out that Fernando’s comments made following the Easter Sunday attacks had been dealt with by a Presidential Commission of Inquiry, he went on to say that “there is only one conclusion, they want to intimidate him.”
The UNP Leader also raised concerns on the recent detention of Opposition MP Rishad Bathiudeen.
Stating that the rights of the House were being infringed upon by the recent detention of M.P. Rishard Bathuideen, he said while the Parliament does not request immunity from arrest, if required by law, the House must be informed of the cause of the detention of a M.P.
Wickremesinghe explained that the current detention of Bathiudeen had been done without providing a cause for the arrest to the Parliament.
The UNP MP added that this went against the rights of the House, which requires the cause for a detention of a Member to be presented to the House.
The former Prime Minister urged the Speaker to safeguard the Parliament by safeguarding the rights of its Members and the powers of the Cabinet who are ultimately responsible to Parliament.
He asked that the Speaker provide a ruling on these matters raised while also urging that it be referred to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the International Parliament Union. (NewsWire)