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Last Updated : 2024-04-23 15:09:00
15 December 2022 07:52 pm - 20 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Filing a writ petition in Court of Appeal, 22 government Parliamentarians representing SLPP and several others have sought an order directing the authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation in order to ascertain as to whether former Army Commander General Shavendra Silva, IGP Chandana Wickremaratne or any other respondents have willfully disobeyed the orders given by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to take action to prevent the damages to property and people following the attack on Galle Face protesters on May 9.
Ministers Bandula Gunawardena, Prasanna Ranatunga and 37 SLPP activists including 20 parliamentarians whose properties were damaged or destroyed following the mob attacks filed this petition naming former Army Commander General Shavendra Silva, Defence Secretary Kamal Gunarathne, Senior DIG Deshabandu Thennakoon, Army Commander Lieutenant General H.L.V.M. Liyanage and several others as respondents. The Court of Appeal yesterday fixed the petition for support on January 16. This petition is to be supported by President’s Counsel Sanjeeva Jayawardena.
The petitioners reiterated the importance of conducting a comprehensive investigation in order to ascertain whether there was a politically motivated plan or other agenda to undermine the state.
The petitioners stated that former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the capacity of Minister of Defence had appointed a ‘Board of Inquiry’ consisting of three highly decorated former commanders of tri forces, under the Chairmanship of the Admiral of Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda, to ascertain lapses, if any, by the armed forces and State Intelligence Service, during the recent incidents of violence.
The petitioners said the conduct of former Army Commander General Shavendra Silva during the time period material to the instant application is highly questionable and that he has on several occasions disregarded direct and repeated instructions given to him by the former President, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence to protect the private property of the petitioners as well as other Citizen and also the public property of the State.
The petitioners stated that the Board of Inquiry has found that the conduct of General Shavendra Silva on 31-03-2022 and 09-05-2022 are highly suspicious and questionable.
They further alleged that General Shavendra Silva had disregarded repeated instructions from then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Secretary of Defence to take action to prevent the damages to property and people being harmed near Beira Lake at Navam Mawatha in the afternoon and to clear the mob along the Galle road in front of the Temple Trees in spite of having over 4,500 including five Battalions from the elite Air Mobile Brigade, Special Forces and Commandos stationed in different locations within Colombo city limits.
They alleged Sri Lanka Police, and the armed forces, turned a blind eye, and did not take any action to prevent the ongoing violence and protect life and property of the citizens of Sri Lanka, despite the fact that the President had even declared a state of emergency and had issued Emergency Regulations. (Lakmal Sooriyagoda)
Punchi Thursday, 15 December 2022 08:15 PM
Funny people these parliamentarians wanting an investigation on the damage of their properties. No investigation was conducted and not a single person was convicted for the pogroms against our minorities where they were raped and killed and their properties pillaged and burnt. Killings even took place within secure areas like prisons. All this took place while those who were supposed to protect watched and even participated. Now we are experiencing Karmic retribution for our actions
Ram Thursday, 15 December 2022 08:28 PM
Galle Face assaults were after the Temple Trees meeting. Now these MPs are trying to find a scape goat to protect the big guns Who instigated the attack as the big culprits were made respondents in a SC matter
Shankar Thursday, 15 December 2022 08:29 PM
When Jaffna was controlled by the LTTE , LTTE deliberately planted land mines against the Sri Lankan Army in Jaffna middle class residential areas. LTTE terrorists like other Tamil terror groups hated the cultured Jaffna Tamils. As consequences almost all the houses belonging to the middle class Tamils were burnt down in Jaffna and so many house owners killed by the army. At the time Sri Lankan army chiefs were praised in the South as heroes but now the Sinhalese mobs have burnt down your houses, you don’t like your army chiefs.
Ravi V Thursday, 15 December 2022 08:58 PM
Infighting starts; the clowns will ruin the country with RW's help
RP Thursday, 15 December 2022 09:19 PM
Hmmm...tides are turning? How could have the Forces prevented the Mass -Public uprisings and three generations of family from grand parents to their grand children, collectively venting their anger of their incompetent President and the government? The Parliamentarians should appreciate that the Forces didn't use lethal force thus preventing loss of lives. The Forces did the right thing by dis-obeying the incompetents and the crooks!
Tak Tik Tuk Thursday, 15 December 2022 10:39 PM
Waste of time and money, only the police is responsible for any civil security lapses. By law the army cannot intervene unless state of emergency and a special request by police is issued. MR should bear the responsibility as he and his henchmen actions triggered the property damage.
Sinna Friday, 16 December 2022 05:29 AM
Politicians are coming to power promising various incentives to public only till to grab the power, thereafter their intention is plundering public assets, taking commissions and bribes to be super rich,in rajapaksha case managed to buy even fleet of private jets ,why no one requesting to sue those economic plunderers
Mahila Friday, 16 December 2022 08:28 AM
The Army, Navy and other chiefs were trained by you and they performed to perfection!! They didn't at any time ignore the orders of the HC or deviate from standard Practice on occasions such as this!?? They are elite class of Men and Officers of impeccable class, unmatched!!!?? Without an iota of doubt on the credibility and performance!!?? There was no difference to whatever happened in 1956, 1958, 1960, 1966, 1977, 1982 or1983!! Picture perfect following of all actions!!!?? What else different these blooming Law makers wanted instead??? Fried "Karapoththa" with the Isso (Prawn) Wadai!!! TOM FOOLERY OF THE IDIOSYNCRATIC UNEDUCATED ROGUES!!!! Kept to the stereotype!!! Only difference was that the Sinhalese (Law Makers) didn’t cheer them on as they complied!!?? They wanted it differently, which was not in the book sadly!!?
Sena Siva Friday, 16 December 2022 09:54 AM
What goes around comes around. It's more obvious in a country like Sri Lanka where the silent peace loving people are taken for granted by this highly paid informed goons . Retribution always comes 8n at the right time
Lawyer Friday, 16 December 2022 10:34 AM
We don't know whether these moves are fabricated and staged with the connivance of the AG, former AC Shavendra Silva, IGP, and others with a different Agenda ?
Dilshan Perera Friday, 16 December 2022 10:53 AM
This will be solved only with a general election and kicking out of power these pohottuwa losers.. they need to be prosecuted and all assets confiscated, including family members..
Felix de mel Friday, 16 December 2022 02:00 PM
The so called Parliamantarians should first declare the assets that were damaged and show how they obtained them. The auditor genarel should then compare what they have declared at the time they got into the parliament.
Victimised Friday, 16 December 2022 04:17 PM
First appoint a commission with foreign and local judges to investigate and report on 1956,1958, 1977, 1983, Prison brutal murders of Tamil prisoners, 2009 Genocide.
madhuka Friday, 16 December 2022 04:48 PM
why don't you probe how all these thugs from down south using CTB buses and prisoners taken out of prison were used to attack citizens protesting against the kings family rule
Deby John Friday, 16 December 2022 05:55 PM
There was a total inaction from Shavendra Silva….he was busy meeting with foreign ambassadors then!!! Who knows what was his agenda???
Buddhist Friday, 16 December 2022 05:56 PM
First IGP and Police Commission should implement the court order to Transfer Deshabandu Tennekoon.
Cam sab Saturday, 17 December 2022 02:58 AM
Considering the clandestine moves of GR in the past, it would make one to think that the torching of the houses of politicians, including MR’s, could well have been the idea of GR to divert and prevent Aragalaya from entering presidential palace. Appointing committees to investigate subsequently is all eyewash. These stupid Members of Parliament don’t know how mind of GR and Shavendra Silva work…..both of them must be drinking and laughing at these idiots now!!
Sunil Saturday, 17 December 2022 08:57 AM
These actions were the result of the old mynah and the young mynah instigating their supporters run amok at Galle Face. It is this dastardly action that backfired on them. Deshabandu is the guy who could have prevented these thugs from entering Galle Face and he did nothing. Beyond that point it was a free for all.
Jhonny Saturday, 17 December 2022 11:51 AM
The torching of properties would have been minimal as Kerosene which was cheaper, was not freely available to the masses and even petrol was not so easily procurable. If these were freely available, the job would have been a total clean up.
Deby John Saturday, 17 December 2022 02:33 PM
Very strange that Shavendra Silva or Kamal Gunaratne could not do anything to protect the houses of MPs being torched. It is a multi million dollar question why? They didn’t do anything in advance because the instructions to not to protect must have come from GR to defame Aragalaya.
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