Ven. Wimalatissa recalls ordeal with Deshabandu Tennakoon over parliamentary bonus seat

By Nirmala Kannangara  
Deshabandu Tennakoon is yet again in the spotlight for aiding and abetting Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera to get the latter the parliamentary bonus seat by threatening the Secretary of the Ape Janabala Pakshaya (AJP) with death in 2020.   
Tennakoon, who was the then Senior DIG of the Western Province, is alleged to have threatened Secretary AJP Ven. Vedanigama Wimalatissa Thera, who had been nominated to fill the bonus seat his party secured at the August 2020 general election. Tennakoon had pointed a pistol at the monk and got his signature on several blank sheets to pave way for Ven. Rathana Thera to enter Parliament.   
“When I did not agree to offer the parliamentary seat to Ven. Rathana Thera, Deshabandu Tennakoon got annoyed and pointing a pistol at me said that if I do not agree to offer the bonus seat to Rathana Thera, he can shoot me on the spot. He then pointed to the person next to him who was the OIC Kollupitiya and said he’ll throw my body to the sea off Kollupitiya,” Ven. Wimalatissa Thera told this newspaper.