by
A staff reporter
Hirunika Premachandra
Hirunika Premachandra, daughter of slain politician, Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, said yesterday the President should provide a solution to the ‘Duminda Silva situation,’ and complained, “the man who destroyed four families has now gone to meet the President.”
Hirunika, addressing the media after United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP Duminda Silva – a suspect in the murder of her father – was released on bail and discharged from the hospital yesterday, said international claims of human rights violations in Sri Lanka “must have some truth in them, if such situations are allowed by the law.”
“The man who destroyed four families has now gone to meet the President.
What the international community says about Sri Lanka must have some truth in it at least, but I cannot point the finger at the Court decision to grant bail to Silva, and I can’t point the finger at any one else either. My late father’s friends cannot make public statements of support in this matter, I understand that. I only expect a solution to this problem to be presented by the President himself,” she said.
She charged the doctors, who had commented on the state of Silva’s health, claiming him to be of a fragile condition, were ‘lying despite their profession.’
“What is happening in this country? Silva is rallying people around him as if nothing has happened. No other person would dare to say that they had been wronged in such a situation, while rallying people around themselves. My supporters and I in this matter, have always been transparent in our conduct, and have always presented ourselves before the Courts at the needed time, while Silva has never appeared before the Court,” she said.
Hirunika alleged the police and ‘other authorities involved’ had shown no responsibility when dealing with Silva, expressing shock at the fact that he had been given police protection whilst in Sri Lanka.
“The police were not aware of his comings and goings out of the country. I lost my father, and the court case seems to be going Silva’s way now. It seems I and my family has lost everything,” she said.
She expressed doubt over Silva being shot in the head, and declared that he should have no trouble showing up in Courts, if he was able to walk out of a hospital ‘that easily.’
Commenting on the possibility of Silva taking up office in Parliament again in the near future, she said, “A politician is someone who must be able to represent the people. Elections must be held to see if the people truly want Silva back. Just because he has supporters around him, it doesn’t mean the majority is on his side,” she said.
Hirunika also claimed ‘the power of wealth’ was displayed for all to see when Silva was granted bail, and also expressed suspicion over the recent increase of the electricity bill, speculating that it was a smokescreen behind which the bail of Sliva would go unnoticed by the public.
“I remember that during the impeachment of former Chief Justice,
Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, there were other media related issues which diverted the attention of the people away from the impeachment proceedings. The electricity bill seems to have done the same thing, by making sure that the public were not completely aware of Silva being bailed,” she charged.
COURTESY:Ceylon Today