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Mirihana incident had no political links: Army
The arrest of three Army personnel armed with a weapon while travelling in a white van at Mirihana had no political links and in no way poses a threat to any individual, Military Spokesman Jayanath Jayaweera said today.
The arrest of three soldiers on Monday night resulted in United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) claiming that the incident posed a threat to ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa who resides in Mirihana.
Brigadier Jayaweera said soldiers taken into custody were members of the security detail assigned to Major General Prasanna Silva and the firearm found in their possession belonged to him.
“Major General Silva has been having the firearm for that past 15 years and there have been no reports to suggest it had been used for any illegal activity,” he said.
However, Brigadier Jayaweera admitted the number plate of the vehicle had been altered. He said the vehicle belonged to the army but it carried a number plate issued to a civilian’s vehicle.
“We are investigating how the vehicle’s number plate was changed and to determine if the soldiers were on an official task assigned by Major General Silva. As for the firearm, an officer can hand over his weapon to one of the soldiers in his security detail either when entering the Defence Ministry or at other occasions depending on the circumstances,” he said.
Commenting on the reports that the vehicle had been belonged to the LTTE, the Brigadier said he could not comment on the topic at this level. He said action would be taken against the soldiers if found guilty following the pending probe carrying out by the military police. (Lahiru Pothmulla)
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