Seven JO MPs to be arrested before 27 July: Gammanpila claims

 By Chamodi Gunawardana

Seven new Parliamentarians of the Joint Opposition are likely to be arrested before the Jana Satana Paada Yathrawa kicks off, MP Udaya Gammanpila alleged yesterday. 

Speaking to media, Gammanpila claimed the arrests would be made before 27 July to discourage the Joint Opposition as well as to sabotage the Jana Satana March scheduled to commence on 28 July from Kandy.

“We have learnt that there is an ongoing conspiracy hatched by the Government to disrupt the Paada Yathrawa. The arrest of former Minister Basil Rajapaksa was a part of it,” he charged. 

Gammanpila further claimed that Rajapaksa’s arrest was carried out without valid legal arguments. He challenged any Government minister to sit for a debate with him over the legality of the arrest.

“Even if former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is proven to have engaged in any fraud or wrongdoing, we will not oppose his punishment; but any allegation must be proven,” he said.

Meanwhile, MP Bandula Gunawardena claimed the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) has misled the court by making false allegations against Rajapaksa.

Rajapaksa was arrested over an allegation of misappropriating Rs.36.5 millions funds belongs to the Divi Neguma Development Authority to purchase and distribute GI pipes during the last presidential election. Commenting on this, Gunawardena said: “The current Social Empowerment and Welfare Minister S. B. Dissanayake had informed Parliament that those funds were issued transparently to purchase GI pipes. He further said that those pipes reached their intended local-government heads without failure.” 

“How could Rajapaksa be wrong under the Public Property Act for transferring public property from one state institute to another? asked Gunawardena.

He charged that all arrests of Joint Opposition members were part of a political witch hunt. 

-Pic by Lasantha Kumara