Don’t let Police probe incident in Parliament: MR

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera   

Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday it was not appropriate to allow an external body such as the police to investigate the incident that occurred in parliament last November as it happened inside the chamber. 

 He told Parliament that the Speaker had powers to take action against the MPs involved in the incident and added that it was not proper to allow the police to intervene.  
“This happened in the chamber. If it happened outside, I will have different opinion,” he said.  

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said there was an investigation carried out by the police in addition to the internal investigation carried out by a committee appointed by Parliament.  
He said police was carrying out a separate investigation into the assault by MPs on police personnel who were on duty that day and that he could not intervene in the police investigations.  

MP S.B. Dissanayake said the matter should be discussed at the party leaders meeting and an investigation should be carried out by the Parliament privileges committee.  
House Leader  Lakshman Kiriella said the law of the country was superior and that parliamentary privileges could not supersede the law of the country. 

This happened in the chamber. If it happened outside, I will have different opinion