by Zacki Jabbar
Cabinet Spokesman and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said yesterday that those who had protected Avant Garde Maritime Services despite the existence of an Attorney General’s Department finding that the company had acted illegally and should be prosecuted, would be dealt with legally.
Responding to questions at the weekly Cabinet Press Briefing in Colombo, Senaratne dismissed claims by both Law and Order Minister Tilak Marapana and Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapaksa that Avant Garde had run a floating armoury at the Galle Port legally.
The main goal of those who had backed the Common Presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena to come to power on January 8, this year was to establish good governance and rule of law and that would be achieved regardless of various obstacles that had been placed in their way, Senaratne emphasised, adding that President Sirisena had summoned a special Cabinet Meeting on Monday (09) to discuss the Avante Garde issue.
Media Minister Gayantha Karunathillake, who was also present confirmed that all Ministers had been informed of the meeting.
Senaratne said that at one of the National Executive Council (NEC) Meetings shortly after the election of President Srisena a senior official of the Attorney General’s Department had presented to the NEC the department’s recommendations based on investigations into allegations against Avant Garde. “According to the AG’s findings Avant Garde had acted illegally and the recommendation was that the company’s top officials and former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa be arrested and prosecuted in courts for allegedly committing criminal offences. The members of the NEC endorsed the action proposed by the AG and asked the official to report on the progress of the case. But, at the next meeting, the AG’s Department official informed us that the Tamil translation of the charge sheet would be ready only later that day and asked for time till the next session of the NEC and that request was granted. At the next sitting of the NEC, the AG’s Department official complained to us that he had received seven calls from a minister telling him not to proceed with criminal action but to pursue civil action instead against the said persons.”
He said that regardless of the opinions expressed by Marapana and Wijeyadasa Rajapakasa, who were both lawyers, the Special Cabinet Meeting summoned for Monday would under the guidance of President Srisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe ensure that justice prevailed.
Responding to another question, Senaratne observed that the comments made by Marapana, who had functioned as counsel for Avante Garde and Rajapakshe, had led to a conflict of interest with regard to continuing in their current ministerial positions.
Courtesy:The Island