Ex-Defence Secy. testifies before PSC ‘Prez told not to invite IGP to Oct. 2018 SC meeting’

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana 

Former Defence Secretary Kapila Waidyaratne yesterday said President Maithripala Sirisena informed him not to invite IGP Pujith Jayasundara to the Security Council meeting in October 2018.

   Mr. Waidyaratne came out with this information while testifying before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) probing the Easter Sunday attacks last afternoon.   
He said this in response to Acting Chairman of the PSC Jayampathi Wickramaratne that Former Defence Secretary was summoned before the select committee because of a statement made by IGP Jayasundara that Mr. Waidyaratne had informed him that President had instructed him not to invite the former to Security Council meeting.   

“I usually do not question the President therefore I did not ask him as to why the IGP had been refrained from attending the Security Council Meeting. During that time there was an investigation in progress with regard to the IGP’s involvement with Namal Kumara’s assassination plots of the President. There were also some other matters which should not be informed to the IGP. I thought that was the reason for not inviting him. Sisira Mendis informed me that he could not convey the message to IGP Jayasundara that the latter’s presence was not necessary for the NSC. Soon after that IGP Jayasundara called me and asked whether he had been asked not to attend the meeting. I confirmed it and said that the President told me so. Till that day the IGP continued to attend all NSC meetings,” he said.   

He said President Sirisena did not inform him not to invite anyone else to the Security Council meeting. Therefore he said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was invited to the Security Council meeting during his tenure and the latter attended the meetings during his time as Defence Secretary.