Will take legal action against MPs, monks who tarnish my name: Salley

Western Province Governor Azath Salley yesterday promised to take legal action against MPS and Buddhist monks for tarnishing his name and making false statements that he attempted to make use of his influence to release two suspects connected to the Mawanella incident.

Addressing a news briefing, he said he had no links with any terrorist organisation and was not involved in using influence to release persons connected to any of these incidents.

“This was proved in a letter dated April 25 sent by the Defence Secretary where he said that no undue influence was exercised by an outside party to get the suspects released,” the governor said.

Highways Minister Kabir Hashim recently said one of the suicide bombers who blew himself up in an attack last Sunday had been a suspect who was arrested a few months ago in connection with an incident in Mawanella.

“MPS like Wimal Weerawansa, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Minister Kabir Hashim and some Buddhist monks are tarnishing my name. I will not tolerate this because some statements made by them surpasses terrorism. Hence, I will go to court against them,” the governor added.

He said there were warnings about this terrorist group since 2005 with relevant videos and photographs also being made available to the government but no one heeded these warnings.

Meanwhile, he praised Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith for his stand at a time of crisis. “As the Cardinal has ordered a stop to the holding of Sunday Masses, we are ready to provide our places of worship for Catholics to conduct prayer services. While saying that they had been demanding a ban on women wearing the Burqa and Niqab for quite a sometime, he said he had instructed the Education Secretary of the Western Province to issue a circular banning the Niqab in all schools in the province. (Sheain Fernandopulle)

Video by Sanjeewa