Arrest of Champika violated parliamentary traditions: Speaker’s office

Representatives of all parties at yesterday's party leaders meeting were of the view that the arrest of former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka had violated parliamentary tradition so far followed, sources from the speaker’s office said.

At the meeting, it has also been decided to call the IGP and other relevant officers before the Speaker to make them aware of the matter and also to inform the National Police Commission about the procedure adopted to arrest the former minister, as mentioned in the statement issued by the speaker’s office in this connection.

The statement further says that all representatives in the ruling and opposition parties are of the same view and agreed to draw the attention of the NPC to the matter.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri, ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, Dinesh Gunawardena, Mahinda Amaraweera, Dallas Alahapperuma and Parliamentarians Sajith Premadasa, Gayantha Karunathilaka, Rauff Hakeem, Ravi Karunanayaka, Ajith P Perera, Mano Ganeshan and Niroshan Perera were present at the meeting. (Sujith Hewajulige)