Speaker justifies visiting Champika in prison

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday justified his move in visiting MP Patali Champika Ranawaka in remand prison.  Asserting that he would not dispute the arrest of MPs on a legal basis, he said the proper parliamentary tradition should be followed in doing so.   

He was responding to criticism that he never issued any statement when the MPs were arrested under the former government. The Speaker said he rushed to see MP Ranawaka in remand custody because tradition was not followed in the arrest.   

 Otherwise, he said he had not acted partially in this instance.