Daham’s Clique Night Club Attack Swept Under The Carpet
October 23, 2016
Two weeks since the Clique Night club came under attack from a group led by the son of President Maithripala Sirisena, Daham; it now appears that the incident has been swept under the carpet with police taking no action against any of the culprits.
Despite clear CCTV footage showing officers from the Presidential Security Division (PSD) threatening the security guards at the night club, after they refused Daham Sirisena and his friends’ entry to the club on October 8, the police have so far not even recorded a statement from Daham Sirisena since the incident.
Soon after his arrival from Thailand, Sirisena sent out a customary order instructing the law enforcement authorities to carry out a full scale investigation into the attack, however two weeks since the incident, the Maradana police which was investigating the incident has not taken any action to bring the culprits to book.
Despite several telephone calls from the Colombo Telegraph to Superintendent of Police (SP) Ruwan Gunasekera, he did not answer his mobile.
The attack was allegedly orchestrated by Sirisena’s son, after he and his group were infuriated that they were denied entry into the club. After threatening the security and leaving, the angry mob returned with poles and launched an attack on the guards and also damaged property of the club. They also attacked a security guard with a flower pot who was later admitted to the Accident Service. However several hours later, the security guard said that he was unable to identify anyone, despite the area where the attack took place being well lit.
Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media Karunarathne Paranawithana told a news conference on October 12 that Sirisena had instructed the authorities to launch a full scale investigation into the night club attack, in which his son was accused of being involved. However, despite the reported order, Sirisena had broken the law himself after he ordered the police to show him all of the CCTV footage of the attack.
