7 January 2020 08:18 pm
Referring to the incident where MP Ranjan Ramanayake is reported to have telephoned former CID director Shani Abeysekara, UNP MP Hirunika Premachandra said today there was nothing wrong because Mr. Ramanayake had not influenced Mr Abeysekara.
She told a news briefing that Mr. Ramanayake had only asked the SSP how the investigations were progressing.
“He has the right to speak to officials just as the right for journalists to do so. What journalists do with the pen, is done by ourselves in Parliament,” Ms. Premachandra said and emphasised the fact that under the good governance rule they had never interfered in court proceedings.
However, she stressed that they had never been engaged in interfering to court proceedings right throughout the tenure of the yahapalanaya government. “We have been able to maintain independence of Judiciary, which we established in the Good Governance,” she said adding that it had not been proved by the Government Analyst that the so called telephone conversation was between Ranjan and Shani Abeysekara.
Meanwhile, MP Premachandra said she suspected that Duminda Silva, who was sentenced to death after he was found guilty of her father’s murder, might be released soon.
“The foundation is being laid with the Ranjan Ramanayake incident to release Duminda Silva," she said.
When asked whether President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who had vowed to change the system, would release of Duminda Silva through a presidential pardon, she said it is Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who would spoil President Gotabaya.
“There is a visible confrontation between the President and Prime Minister. This was again proved with a recent appointment made by the Prime Minister to a certain institution, which was subsequently suspended by the President," MP Premachandra said. (Sheain Fernandopulle)
Pix by Waruna Wanniarachchi