Resignation of Law and Order Minister Tilak Marapana will not solve the matters with regard to Avant Garde case, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said today.

JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake at a media briefing said Minister of Justice Wijedasa Rajapakse is also an offender in the case. Mr. Dissanayake therefore questioned as how Minister Rajapakse got to know about the details pertaining to the revenue earned by Avant Garde. “Why couldn’t the Navy handle the floating armory if it was a lucrative business? “Mr. Dissanayake asked while referring to the statements made by Mr. Rajapakse recently in Parliament. Also he said the Minister of Justice tried to prevent the recent debate in Parliament on the case and therefore he too faces same charges as Mr. Marapana.

The JVP Leader dismissed the statement made by Mr. Rajapakse on the former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa that there is no need for the latter’s arrest. Therefore Mr. Dissanayake said former Defense Secretary should be arrested forthwith.

Further the JVP leader denied the claims made by the former Defense Secretary that the JVPers wanted Front Line Socialist Party (FLSP) leader Kumar Gunaratnam should be abducted. “We never wanted Mr. Gunaratnam abducted,” he said while mentioning that Mr. Rajapaksa by his statement had admitted that he was involved in abductions. (Yohan Perera)