By Madura Ranwala
The police never expected Deputy Minister of Minor Export Crop Promotion Nishantha Mutuhettigama to leave the country for Singapore early morning on Boxing Day, as he was a member of the supreme law making body in the country, the Police spokesman said yesterday.
SSP Ajith Rohana told The Island that MP Mutuhettigama had left the country through the VIP entrance/exit at BIA terminal around 1.30 a.m. and there wasn’t any police security, but the MP would be arrested when he returned to the country in two days’ time as the Immigration Department officers had been requested to intimate to the police on his arrival in the country.
When queried why the police failed to arrest him, while he was singing on a stage before the arrest warrant was issued by the Baddegama Magistrate on Wednesday over the alleged abduction of three suspects from the police custody, SSP said that a separate police investigation by a special team led under the supervision of the Galle Deputy Inspector General of Police was being held over it.
Queried as to what action the police would take against the police officer, who saluted parliamentarian Mutuhettigama when he was getting into the vehicle near Beddagama Magistrate Court on the day the arrest warrant was issued, SSP Rohana said the incident had taken place before the court order, but it was unethical to salute a suspect in a case, though an MP is entitled receive a salute.
The three suspects taken away by the Parliamentarian to the court house were remanded till December 29, over the alleged arson attack on a stage put up for Common Opposition Presidential Candidate (COPC) Maithripala Sirisena at Wanduramba, its Public Address system and the vehicle that transported the sound equipment to the location.
Three Ministerial Security Division personal arrested for abduction of three suspects allegedly involved in the arson attack while in the police custody were bailed out by the Baddegama Magistrate on Wednesday.
Police, however, had failed to arrest MP’s driver so far despite Baddegama Magistrate serving arrest warrants on him as well.
Mutuhettigama’s wife Kokila says her husband will be back soon
By Norman Palihawadana
Kokila Mutuhettigama, wife of maverick UPFA politician and deputy minister Nishantha Mutuhettigama who left the country for Singapore, while a magisterial warrant was out for his arrest told The Island yesterday that the law enforcement officers should have taken him into custody if he was wanted by court and asked why they didn’t perform their duty.
Baddegama Magistrate Chandima Edirimanne had issued a warrant for his arrest for his failure to appear before court having being charged with forcibly taking away three suspects arrested by Wanduramba police for their alleged involvement on the arson attack on a stage constructed for a political rally of common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena a few days back.
Mrs Muthuhettigama said that her husband had planned to travel overseas long before the warrant was issued on him and she didn’t know where he had travelled to.
But she was certain that her husband would return home in the next few days.
Courtesy:The Island