Minister of Law and Order Thilak Marapana holding a press conference at his residence in the morning of Monday November 9th 2015, announced that he was resigning from his ministerial portfolio. Marapana’s announcement came even as his cabinet colleagues were at a special meeting to discuss the conduct of their fellow minister over the avant garde armoury affair.

When the special cabinet meeting began in the morning President Maithripala Sirisena informed Cabinet ministers that he had received the resignation letter of Law and Order and Prison Reforms Minister Tilak Marapana.

Meanwhile Tilak Marapana convened A special press conference at his residence and announced his decision to resign from ministerial office

Former Attorney – General Marapana entered Parliament on the UNP National List and was appointed Minister of Law and Order and Prisons in the Sirisena –Wickremesinghe Govt

Minister Marapana aroused controversy by stating that the charges brought against Avant Garde and its controversial chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi would be impossible to prove.

In what appeared to be a blatant conflict of interest Tilak Marapana who was the Lawyer for Avant Garde, gave a clean chit to the private maritime security company implicated in a defence corruption scandal involving tens of millions of dollars

Because of the senior lawyer ministers involvement with Avant Garde the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had instructed Marapana to refrain from addressing the Avant Garde issue and determined that he could give no instructions to the Police with regard to the high profile case.

It was anticipated that the cabinet meeting would arrive at a decision that minister Marapana should either “voluntarily”resign or be removed from office

It was against this backdrop that Tilak Marapana has submitted his letter of resignation to President Sirisena and announced the decision at the press conference