No provable evidence filed against Jayasuriya: Marapana

Foreign Minister Thilak Marapana said today no provable evidence had been filed against former army commander Jagath Jayasuriya to the effect that he committed war crimes in the case filed by an NGO in Brazil recently.

Responding to a question raised by joint opposition MP Dinesh Gunawardane, the minister said this was not a new thing and added that two similar cases had been filed against Sri Lankan security forces by NGOs in the United States and Switzerland in 2011.

He said however the governments in the two countries had withdrawn the cases.

He told parliament that the allegation against Mr. Jayasuriya was not made with good intentions as it was done after he left his position as the army commander and also he left Brazil as its Ambassador.

Referring to the statement made by Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, he said it was his personal opinion and that it was not the opinion of the government.

He said the official stance on the matter had been made by President Maithripala Sirisena recently. (Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera)