Cabinet Ministers should be arrested; historic opportunity for Police: Gammanpila

The Sri Lanka Police must take action to arrest all the cabinet Ministers for removing the Crudia zeylanica tree, which blocked the construction of the Colombo-Kandy Expressway, MP Udaya Gammanpila said.

Addressing the media, he said the government is trying to justify the situation by giving various intrusive excuses.

Earlier, the government kept saying that this tree was the only one of its kind that remained in the world. Later, it was said that another seven similar trees were found in the country. Now, they are saying that they are in the process of planting another seven trees and another 200 trees soon. 

"Whatever the stories they say, the removal of this tree cannot be justified as it is illegal.

According to the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance of the country, this tree was named as the one that should be protected, and felling these trees is contrary to the law.

"Removing this tree without amending the act is applicable to one month imprisonment. The cabinet ministers are not above the country's laws, and they also must work according to the rules and regulations of the country. But the tree was removed by a decision of the cabinet ministers, which shows the ministers are above the law," he said.

Therefore, the minister requested the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to take immediate action to arrest those responsible ministers, clear the bad image of the police and make this as an historic event, the MP added. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)