Sri Lanka MP in remand custody attends events in the East

The Department of Prisons has granted approval to Batticaloa District MP and Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) Leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pillayan, to attend a function at a kovil in the Eastern Province on Wednesday (11), The Morning Newspaper reported.

“The Department of Prisons has the authority to grant approval to a prisoner in custody to attend functions while serving a sentence. Chandrakanthan was allowed to take part in a district development meeting held in Batticaloa on Tuesday (10) and then another public function at a kovil on Wednesday,” Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya told The Morning.

Pillayan is currently in remand custody in the case over the murder of former Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham.

Concerns were raised in Parliament over Pillayan being allowed to attend the function in the East and the district development meeting.

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M.A Sumanthiran said that as a remand prisoner Pillayan can only attend Parliament

Pillayan was appointed as the Co – Chairman of the Batticaloa District Development Committee by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in September.

He voted in favour of the 20th Amendment in Parliament. (NewsWire)

What did Pillayan say in his maiden Parliament speech?