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CID grills GL over alleged coup

22 January 2015 01:52 pm - 18     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Former External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris had been questioned by the  Criminal Investigations Department officers this afternoon over an  alleged  attempt  in  the  early  hours  of  Friday  January 9 to  thwart  the  electoral  process and  to  prevent,   by  unlawful  means,  the  transfer  of  power  after  the  Presidential  Election.


“In  the  overall  context  of  the  current  strident  emphasis  on  good  governance,  I  expressed  deep  regret  that  I  was  subjected  to  this  harassment  without  any  semblance  of  justification,” Prof. Peiris said.


Prof. Peiris in a statement further said:


“The  basis  of  the  interrogation  to  which  I  was  subjected,  it  appeared,  was  that  I  was  present  at  Temple  Trees  early  in  the  morning  of  9th  January.  One  would  be  hard  put  to  discover  anything  sinister  in  this  perfectly  natural  circumstance;  I  considered  it  only  right  and  proper  for me  to  be  with  President  Mahinda  Rajapaksa,  whom  I  had  loyally  served  for  seven  years  as  a  senior member  of  his  Cabinet,  at  a  time  when  support  and  solidarity  were  called  for.  According  to  my  scale  of  values,  this  is  a  basic  human  obligation.


“I  explained  to  the  Police  officers  who  had  been  sent  to  interrogate  me  that,  far  from  any  seditious  or  criminal  conspiracy  being  hatched,  no  sooner  than  I  entered  the  former  President’s  office  about  3.30  a.m.,  I  found  President   Rajapaksa  emphatically  expressing  to  all  present  his  wish  to  hand  over  power  to  his  duly  elected  successor  even  before  the  formal  announcement  of  the  result.  


“He  specifically  instructed  his  Secretary,  in my  presence,  to  facilitate  the  taking  of  the  Oath  of  Office  by  President-Elect  Maithripala  Sirisena  at  any  time  and  venue  chosen  by  the  new  President.


“I also told the officers of the  CID  that  the  former  President  attached  particular  importance  to  ensuring  that  no  untoward  incidents  should  be  allowed  to  mar  the  handing  over  of  power  and,  to  that  end,  he  directed,  within  my  hearing,  that  the  then  Leader  of  the  Opposition,   Mr.  Ranil  Wickremesinghe,  should  be  consulted  immediately  with  regard  to  practical  arrangements  conducive  to  a  smooth  transition.  Mr.  Wickremesinghe  was  contacted  by  telephone and in  fact  arrived  at  Temple  Trees  a  short  while  later  for  a  discussion  with  President  Rajapaksa.


“I made  it  clear that  not  one  word  was  uttered  in  my  presence  by  anyone  about  a  coup  d’etat  or  any other  criminal  initiative.


“I  told  my  interlocutors  that  the  decision to  question  me  would  have  been justified   only  if  a  statement  had  been  made  by  anyone  present  in  the  room  implicating  me  in  any  manner  or,  at  the  very  least,  suggesting  that  a  criminal  conspiracy  against  the  State  had  been  discussed  or  referred  to  in  my  presence.  I  asserted  my  conviction  that  this could  not  possibly  have  happened,  because  all  the  persons  present  at  the  time  are  men  of  integrity,  and  it  is  inconceivable  that  any  of  them  would  have  made  a  palpably  false  and  malicious   statement.


“I commented on the strange irony inherent in   the situation.  As  the  country’s  former  Minister  of  External  Affairs  and,  even  more  so,  as  a  Professor  of  Law  who  had  guided  the  footsteps  of  thousands  of  students  in  universities  in  my  own  country  and  abroad  (Including   the  present  Prime  Minister), introducing  them  to  seminal  constitutional  values  and  the  received  legal  culture  underpinning  them,  I  am  hardly  a  probable  participant  in  an  alleged  criminal  conspiracy  directed  against  the  State.


“In  the  overall  context  of  the  current  strident  emphasis  on  good  governance,  I  expressed  deep  regret  that  I  was  subjected  to  this  harassment  without  any  semblance  of  justification,” he said.

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  Comments - 18

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  • Banda Friday, 23 January 2015 10:57 AM

    GL is one of the best politicians in the country do. Not comment rubbish about this fabricated lie this only mud slinging . Table will turn soon I also voted for MS

    tomsam Saturday, 24 January 2015 09:01 AM

    First remove the hair dye that is obscuring your ability to think and act rationally.You are an old tool sucker and a disgrace to profession and age.

    Waco Saturday, 24 January 2015 08:25 AM

    General Sarath Fonseka has no intention of taking revenge from any one. He is a strong Buddhist and has the " Let Go " atitude.

    gamarala Friday, 23 January 2015 05:06 PM

    i totally agree with your comment

    lakshmanu Friday, 23 January 2015 02:07 PM

    Dear Don,This is not a joke but very serious! Where due, we have to bring errant people justice!

    sameall Friday, 23 January 2015 02:06 PM

    this is just like in 2002,just read thishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_City_incident

    sameall Friday, 23 January 2015 02:01 PM

    "God had planned you people to be treated as SF" mekada yaha palanaya?or my3 yugaya??

    weera Friday, 23 January 2015 01:48 PM

    Hurry up and find the people who were responsible for the killing of Lasantha Wickramatunge and white van kidnappers instead of going after the King for now.

    Prasad Friday, 23 January 2015 01:28 PM

    This is pathetic . Such malicious actions have already damaged reputation of our country.

    Mm Thursday, 22 January 2015 07:31 PM

    Police and cid is acting like children in a candy store!

    Punyasoma Gunadasa Friday, 23 January 2015 10:56 AM

    Which God are you talking of ? Your grandfather ?

    Mervyn Silva Thursday, 22 January 2015 08:24 PM

    To protect his position GLP is prepared to tell tons of lies. Loyal nanny are wanted for immediate hire.

    sri Thursday, 22 January 2015 08:23 PM

    it does make sense !

    Mason Thursday, 22 January 2015 08:22 PM

    Your presence at the unholy hour is in itself is suspect. Nobody expects you to come clean, not immediately any how.You state that not one word was uttered IN YOUR PRESENCE about a coup. This appears that you are OVER EMPHASIZING wanting the CID to believe what you say.

    Dom Thursday, 22 January 2015 08:19 PM

    In the name of God, Arrest them all! they hurt Sarath Fonseka and others who has been victimised under Rajapaksa regime.I demand no more investigation just put them in jail and do the investigation!!!!!

    don Thursday, 22 January 2015 08:10 PM

    Is this the 100 day plan. What a joke. The biggest job now is to find fault with the previous govt. This is ridiculous

    Philip Thursday, 22 January 2015 07:58 PM

    G L is a disgrace to the legal community, he is another person that could do anything for his personal benefit. He has no values whatsoever , his conduct in the past speaks for itself.

    Lanka Shantha Thursday, 22 January 2015 07:38 PM

    Come on Mr. GLP, at least you can speak the truth now and become as a crown witness, you are safe. Other wise God had planned you people to be treated as SF. (Remember what you people did for him?)


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