PM admits to having lunch with drug smuggler
By Gihan Nicholas- January 3, 2014
Prime Minister, D.M. Jayaratne, who came under severe attack over his alleged involvement in a shipment of heroin, detected by the Customs in what was the largest seizure of the narcotic in South-East Asia, admitted that he had lunch with the suspect – the foreigner – who had ordered the shipment to Sri Lanka.
The Premier recently said he had been introduced to the suspect by Gampola Urban Council member, Tharanga Wittachchi, when they had arrived at his home in Gampola.
"Wittachchi once came to see me. I told him 'let's have some food.' Then a bit reluctantly Wittachchi said a friend had accompanied him. I told him to ask the friend to join us. Seeing the friend was not a Sri Lankan, I asked Wittachchi who he was. He said he had met the person when he travelled to Dubai. I said good, let's have some food..." Following the lunch, Wittachchi had approached the Prime Minister's son, Anuradha Lanka Jayaratne. According to the Prime Minister, Wittachchi had requested his son for a waiver on taxes and surcharges on a consignment of goods, which his friend had imported. Anuradha had thereby referred the matter to Keerthi Sri Weerasinghe, who was a Coordinating Secretary to the Prime Minister.
"Wittachchi had told my son that the foreigner, who was accompanying him, was a friend who had a stock of goods at the harbour, which had been slammed with demurrage and VAT. He had said the charges were enormous. So, Wittachchi had asked my son if it was possible to help him release the cargo with a waiver on taxes and surcharges. My son had then told Keerthi 'I'll just have a look into this,' that's it. I don't know whether Keerthi was aware or not but a letter was written. That is true. That is all we know," he said.
The Prime Minister said he was bewildered when he had come to know that heroin was concealed and imported to the country in the containers which were cleared. Jayaratne also said the Leader of the JHU, Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha Thera, was in no manner a judge, but a capricious individual for having levelled baseless allegations against him.
"A priest named Sobhitha, an individual in a robe, has charged that letters were sent to clear containers of heroin and drugs. He is saying that the Premier should be remanded. He is demanding for the resignation of the Prime Minister. Just look at this. Can a man in a robe speak like this? Does he have police powers? Only a Judge can say so," the Premier added.
By Gihan Nicholas- January 3, 2014 Prime Minister, D.M. Jayaratne, who came under severe attack over his alleged involvement in a shipment of heroin, detected by the Customs in what was the largest seizure of the narcotic in South-East Asia, admitted that he had lunch with the suspect – the foreigner – who had ordered the shipment to Sri Lanka.
The Premier recently said he had been introduced to the suspect by Gampola Urban Council member, Tharanga Wittachchi, when they had arrived at his home in Gampola.
"Wittachchi once came to see me. I told him 'let's have some food.' Then a bit reluctantly Wittachchi said a friend had accompanied him. I told him to ask the friend to join us. Seeing the friend was not a Sri Lankan, I asked Wittachchi who he was. He said he had met the person when he travelled to Dubai. I said good, let's have some food..." Following the lunch, Wittachchi had approached the Prime Minister's son, Anuradha Lanka Jayaratne. According to the Prime Minister, Wittachchi had requested his son for a waiver on taxes and surcharges on a consignment of goods, which his friend had imported. Anuradha had thereby referred the matter to Keerthi Sri Weerasinghe, who was a Coordinating Secretary to the Prime Minister.
"Wittachchi had told my son that the foreigner, who was accompanying him, was a friend who had a stock of goods at the harbour, which had been slammed with demurrage and VAT. He had said the charges were enormous. So, Wittachchi had asked my son if it was possible to help him release the cargo with a waiver on taxes and surcharges. My son had then told Keerthi 'I'll just have a look into this,' that's it. I don't know whether Keerthi was aware or not but a letter was written. That is true. That is all we know," he said.
The Prime Minister said he was bewildered when he had come to know that heroin was concealed and imported to the country in the containers which were cleared. Jayaratne also said the Leader of the JHU, Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha Thera, was in no manner a judge, but a capricious individual for having levelled baseless allegations against him.
"A priest named Sobhitha, an individual in a robe, has charged that letters were sent to clear containers of heroin and drugs. He is saying that the Premier should be remanded. He is demanding for the resignation of the Prime Minister. Just look at this. Can a man in a robe speak like this? Does he have police powers? Only a Judge can say so," the Premier added.
