{"id":40763,"date":"2015-04-20T18:29:23","date_gmt":"2015-04-20T22:29:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=40763"},"modified":"2015-04-20T18:29:23","modified_gmt":"2015-04-20T22:29:23","slug":"mahinda-rajapaksa-can-get-restraining-order-against-bribery-commission-summoning-him-says-ranil-wickremesinghe-in-parliament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=40763","title":{"rendered":"Mahinda Rajapaksa can get Restraining Order Against Bribery Commission Summoning Him says Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament."},"content":{"rendered":"

By Saman Indrajith<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament yesterday that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa could obtain a restraining order against the Bribery Commission summoning the latter.<\/em><\/p>\n

The opposition MPs shouted when the Premier said so in response to the Opposition MPs\u2019s call for an end to harassing former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.<\/p>\n

At the time the House commenced public business, MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena raising a privilege issue said MP Tissa Attanayake and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had been summoned by the Bribery Commission and it amounted to a breach of privileges of MP Attanayake.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena: There are media reports that former minister Tissa Attanayake and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had been summoned before the Bribery Commission over Attanayake accepting a ministerial portfolio and former President awarding it. This is a serious situation. We have raised this issue of the government harassing the opposition MPs, their spouses and children. We cannot let this continue. Today, the government is using its power to hunt the opposition members. This not only amounts to breach of privileges of MPs but also setting a wrong precedent.<\/p>\n

Leader of the House Minister Lakshman Kiriella: We do not know why they have been summoned before the bribery commission. We are bringing in the 19th Amendment to the Constitution with the intention of setting the bribery commission, public service commission and other commissions free from politics. We are planning to make them independent. Why are you opposing it?<\/p>\n

NFF Leader Wimal Weerawansa: Leader of the House gave a Yanne Koheda Malle Pol (irrelvant) response. The unofficial leader of the Opposition MP Dinesh Gunawardena raised an important issue.<\/p>\n

Leader of the House: There cannot be two opposition leaders. There is only one opposition leader.<\/p>\n

MP Weerawansa: I said the unofficial opposition leader.<\/p>\n

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa: One within the House the other outside of it.<\/p>\n

MP Weerawansa: The reason for summoning former President Rajapaksa to the bribery commission is appointing Tissa Attanayake a minister. If the giving and accepting ministerial portfolios is bribe taking and giving all those who have joined the government recently obtaining ministerial portfolios should be summoned before the bribery commission.<\/p>\n

The Director General of the Bribery Commission is a close friend of the Prime Minister\u2019s wife. The Director General and her husband have acquired 45 acres of land in Tenna area of Matale. That area is reserved jungle because it is very environmentally sensitive. The Wildlife Department went before the courts against acquiring land in a protected area. The incumbent Director General of the bribery commission was then in the Attorney General\u2019s Department and making use of her powers she hushed up the case. Now, she is being used by the government to hound the former President. This is what the government does. It shows a chewing gum called the 19th Amendment to the country while witch-hunting opposition politicians. Army camps are being closed and national security is bien jeopardised. We will not support the 19th Amendment.<\/p>\n

UPFA Colombo District MP Bandula Gunawardena: Political revenge is the order of the day. The Premadasa family was not hounded for giving arms to the LTTE. During Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe\u2019s time under President Chandrika Kumarartunga communication equipment were brought to the country for the LTTE. They entered into agreements to divide the country with the help of Norway. But there was no exacting of revenge from them when they lost power. President Mahinda Rajapaksa united the country and ended the war. Soon after this government came to power, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe promised this House that the government would protect war heroes, former President and the Defence secretary and would not let any harm come to them. But today the leader who saved the country is in danger. We call upon the government not to take political revenge on state sector workers and war heroes. The life of the leader who saved this country is now in danger.<\/p>\n

Government MPs shouted asking how the opposition treated General Sarath Fonseka when it was in power.<\/p>\n

MP Gunawardena: Former President is being hunted to pacify the demands of the Tamil Diaspora. We would sit in this parliament until a promise is given that the hunt against former president would be stopped. We would not leave this House.<\/p>\n

UPFA National List MP Prof G.L.Peiris: Appointing an MP to the minister position could not be considered giving a bribe. MP Attanayake was appointed Minister by the then President making use of the powers vested in him. Even after proclaiming a presidential election, the president in office has the powers to do what is necessary to govern the country and to fill vacancies needed for that. Former President had a right to do so and MP Attanayake too had a right to accept it.<\/p>\n

Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva: According to the provisions of the Constitution, MP Attanayake has a right to accept a ministerial portfolio if the President appoints him. That could not be interpreted as a bribe. If the former President is questioned with regard to that it is a serious question. The Bribery Commission cannot question a President for exercising the powers vested in him. It seems there is a mistake on the part of the bribery commission and the Prime Minister could correct it. This is setting a wrong precedent and it is not good for the image of the government which promised good governance. <\/p>\n

UPFA Colombo District MP Susil Premajayantha: A court of law or tribunal could not question a former president for what he or she did during the time of his or her office. That immunity is guaranteed by the Section 35 (1) of the Chapter 7 of the Constitution. What we see today is unconstitutional and the government should stop this immediately.<\/p>\n

Kurunegala District MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa: Every President is protected by legal immunity. A president could appoint any MP a minister. Exercising powers vested on a president is legal. If a president is summoned before a bribery commission it has become a kangaroo court.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe:<\/strong> Today, there is none holding ministerial positions in this government who left their political parties to accept those positions. The President is the leader of the SLFP and gave ministerial positions to those who came from the SLFP in accordance with a decision taken by that party. They joined the government with the blessings of the president who is their party leader. MP Weerawansa says that Director General of Bribery Commission is a friend of my wife. There is no such connection and I request him not to link my wife to this. I had nothing to do with the appointment of the director general. A case was mentioned. The then Chief of Justice was Mohan Peiris. Chairman of the Bribery Commission is Jagath Balapatabendi. Both were appointees of the former government. They were the final decision makers. President Rajapaksa has been asked to give a statement with regard to a complaint against MP Attanayake. President Rajapaksa is not the person being accused. It is up to him to give the statement or not. He could challenge it before a court and obtain a restraining order so that he needs not come to the commission.<\/p>\n

President Rajapaksa\u2019s lawyers could go to the Supreme Court and obtain a restraining order against the Bribery Commission summons. I know nothing about the issue with Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. We have no need to harm the former President. We would do nothing outside the law.<\/p>\n

People of this country gave us a mandate to investigate corruption and frauds. We will do so. Now I am accused by people and my party men of protecting Mahinda Rajapaksa. The media and social media websites accuse me of protecting Mahinda Rajapaksa.<\/p>\n

MP Bandula Gunawardena accused me of entering into agreements with the LTTE with the support of Chandrika Kumaratunga and Norway. MP Gunawardena is a member of the SLFP. Chandrika too is in the SLFP. He could meet and ask her of that. That is an internal matter of the SLFP. If former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is not treated well and neglected that too could be raised in the SLFP. Those are internal problems of the SLFP. A group of UPFA members met the President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday. But they did not raise that issue. They could have raised it there. No point in coming here and shouting at me. It is not my job to find answers for the internal problems of the SLFP. Not even the Speaker could find solutions for such problems. If you need we are ready to give a debate on this issue.<\/p>\n

Courtesy:The Island<\/em><\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Saman Indrajith Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament yesterday that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa could obtain a restraining order against the Bribery Commission summoning the latter. The opposition MPs shouted when the Premier said so in response to the Opposition MPs\u2019s call for an end to harassing former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. At the time …<\/p>\n

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa can get Restraining Order Against Bribery Commission Summoning Him says Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament.’ »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40763"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=40763"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40763\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40764,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40763\/revisions\/40764"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=40763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=40763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=40763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}