Friction between President and UNP to deepen over IGP

BY Gagani Weerakoon-SEP 23 2018

President Maithripala Sirisena appointed nine new Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) electorate organizers on Friday.  Accordingly, Faiszer Musthapha was appointed as the organizer of Colombo Central while Western Provincial Councillor Hector Bethmage and former Kaduwela Mayor G.H. Buddhadasa were appointed as co-organizers for Kaduwela.
MP Dayasiri Jayasekara was appointed as the SLFP Kurunegala District Leader and Co-Chairman of District Coordinating Committee as well as Co-Chairman of Pannala regional coordinating committee.

Priyangani Abeyweera and Suranga Prabath were appointed as co-organizers for Matugama while Amilaka Harshana Kariyawasam was appointed as the organizer for Bentara. N.D Susantha Lal Jayaweera was appointed as the organizer for Karandeniya, Thisara Gunasinghe was appointed as the organizer for Habaraduwa and Dr. Keerthi Fonseka was appointed as the organizer for Yapahuwa.

The newly-appointed electorate organizers received their appointment letters from President Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat.
The SLFP Central Committee recently removed seven electoral organizers for failing to establish electoral committees.

Several UPFA MPs who had quit the unity government were among those removed from their posts such as Susil Premajayantha, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, T.B. Ekanayake, Tharanath Basnayake, W.D.J. Seneviratne, Chandima Weerakkody and Gunaratne Weerakoon.

IGP saga

Head of the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) DIG Nalaka de Silva would be arrested soon, as the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has gathered evidence against him over the plot to kill President Maithripala Sirisena, a top official of the Police Department told Ceylon Today.
The CID had questioned Anti-Corruption Front member Namal Kumara for over three hours on 15 September.

A voice tape with a conversation Namal Kumara had with the head of the TID has been released to the media.

Several high ranking Police officers confirmed that it was the voice of DIG Nalaka de Silva that was on the tape.

On the same evening, the President had requested IGP Pujith Jayasundara to hand over the investigation to the CID and complete it as soon as possible. Defence Secretary Kapila Waidyaratne, Senior DIG of the CID Ravi Seneviratne and its Director SSP Shani Abeysekera had participated in this meeting.

The National Police Commission (NPC) too had ordered the IGP to hand over the investigation to the CID.

“We ordered the IGP on Friday to expedite this investigation. We cannot spend several weeks on this as this is a very serious matter,” Chairman of the NPC, P.H. Manatunga told this newspaper.  He also said that the CID would be completing this investigation very soon.

He added that, Secretary to the President Udaya R. Seneviratne, Commandant of the Special Task Force, Senior DIG M.R. Latheef and Secretary to the Ministry of the Law and Order Padmasiri Jayamanna had also requested that this investigation be handed over to the CID.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe too has requested the IGP for a report on this matter.

A high ranking Police official told this newspaper that the special Police Unit, which was maintained at a house in Epitamulla Road in Kotte, some months ago, had been engaged in tapping the phones of politicians, journalists and heads of the Police Department. It had been set up by the TID.

We were told that during this illegal activity, which was carried out under the alleged leadership of DIG Nalaka de Silva of the TID, the phone of former Director of the CID DIG Sudath Nagahamulla too had been tapped.
Expressing distrust in the manner Government and the Police are handling the alleged plot to assassinate President Sirisena and former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, several UPFA members in both Government and the Opposition called for the arrest of the DIG de Silva.

The Deputy Inspector General, who is accused of the alleged plot, has accompanied the Inspector General of Police to a Bodhi Pooja held at the Kelaniya Temple on Monday (17), UPFA MP Vasudewa Nanayakkara alleged in Parliament last week.

MP Nanayakkara said that they cannot expect impartial investigations from the IGP in this context and therefore demanded his immediate removal. “We cannot ensure an impartial investigation under the incumbent IGP. The IGP has taken DIG Nalaka to the Kelaniya Temple for a Bodhi Pooja, for the latter, several minutes ago. That has been reported on websites,” he said.
Meanwhile, this whole incident came to a turning point - at least on surface - with the wrath on IGP Jayasundara escalating.

Though not officially confirmed by any party, it was clear through the behaviour of certain close confidantes of the highest echelon of the country that pressure was increasingly mounting on the IGP to step down.

Provincial Councils and Local Government Deputy Minister Sriyani Wijewickrama called for the immediate arrest of DIG de Silva and sacking of incumbent IGP to conduct the investigations into the plot under a new IGP.

She said so following MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena raising a special question saying that entire country was shocked by the recent revelation of an assassination plot of the President and the former Defence Secretary.
“There is a serious allegation against a DIG of planning to get the support of the underworld to kill the President and the former Defence Secretary. There are audio tapes of the plot circulated in media. The security authorities are very slow in conducting investigations on this plot.
 Foreign nations too are shocked to hear the police of this country working hand in glove with underworld to plan political assassinations. This issue could lead to anarchy in the country. The President had promised media that there would be an investigation. We want to know whether the Government would take action against the senior police officers in question.
 If the President is assassinated, then the Prime Minister becomes the President as per the constitutional provisions. This is a serious situation,” he asked.
Leader of the House Public Enterprise Development Minister Lakshman Kiriella intervened and said that statement was inimical to the investigations in progress.

“This is an attempt to interfere in investigations. I am a lawyer. I understand the danger this statement could inflict on the investigations.”
Law and Order Minister Ranjith Maddumabandara responded saying: “Namal Kumara addressing a press conference alleged that he had audio tapes of DIG Nalaka de Silva speaking of killing the President. The matter was reported to the Fort Magistrate. Court orders have been obtained to secure the video and audio records from media organizations of Namal Kumara making those allegations.
 The CID has obtained the mobile phone Namal Kumara had used to record the alleged conversations. DIG Nalaka has been transferred from the Terrorist Investigations Division to the Information Technology Division of the police to facilitate investigations.”

NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa: This issue raises many questions. This Namal Kumara has stated that there was a link between police and underworld in perpetuating crimes at the Sinhala Muslim riots in Digana and Kandy. There are many other accusations of serious nature. The DIG should be arrested. We cannot believe that these investigations would be impartial.

Minister Maddumabandara: We are conducting investigations. We have to consider the evidence. There would be action taken on the basis of findings of investigations. The President is the first citizen of this country. We have provided necessary security to him. The other person alleged to have been under threat is not as citizen of this country, but we are ready to provide security to him.

MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara: We cannot ensure an impartial investigation under the incumbent IGP. The IGP has taken DIG Nalaka to the Kelaniya temple for a Bodhi pooja for the latter several minutes ago. That has been reported in websites.

The Speaker: The Minister could look into that.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe: When there is an investigation in progress, we cannot reveal everything jeopardizing the progress of the investigation. We are happy that you are very concerned of the safety and well-being of the President. But it was you who removed his security when he was the presidential candidate. Did you have the same concerns then?  Our security forces are ready to provide security to Gotabaya Rajapaksa if he has any threats. I know that there are crises in that party. Under such a situation he may need security. You started this issue from the President and now you are talking of the IGP. If the IGP is not suitable for the post, you could raise that issue.

Speaker Jayasuriya:  As soon as this had been reported to me I discussed the matter with relevant authorities. I summoned the IGP yesterday and discussed the issue with him. I too have a responsibility to ensure the security, safety and well-being of the President and Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Meanwhile, it was also revealed that President Sirisena met Prime Minister Wickremesinghe to discuss about the IGP at length on Wednesday night.
“His behaviour is unbecoming and this will create more problems. After all, he’s even fighting with the National Police Commission,” the President has pointed out.

The meeting between the two leaders has not been cordial at all and the PM had responded saying that he will talk to the IGP about the concerns expressed.
“Please, do. I think he has about two more years in service but I do not know whether he could continue like this. I will give him two weeks to decide,” President Sirisena said and also informed the IGP of the same over the phone.

This comes at a juncture where the office of the Inspector General of Police has opted to remain silent on the three dates provided by the National Police Commission (NPC), for a face-off meeting, in a bid to break the stalemate between both sides on a number of festering issues.

The deadline of two weeks given by the Speaker Jayasuriya, for both sides to reach an amicable settlement on many issues, is also nearing its end.
According to the sources the NPC will not budge from its initial position and is insisting that all the recommendations put forward by it must be implemented by the IGP’s Office at the very earliest.
The NPC is seeking the IGP’s approval for some dozen recommendations regarding promotions, transfers and several other related matters.
Despite strong public outcry against the conduct of IGP Jayasundara, Government on Friday (21) insisted that they have no desire to remove him from the post, as he has brought about ‘many positive changes in society as well as to the Police.’

Addressing media at the UNP Headquarters Sirikotha, both Minister and Deputy Minister of Law and Order, admitted the behaviour of the IGP is highly questionable at times, yet they do not wish to take any action beyond advising the latter to be mindful of his conduct.
Minister of Law and Order Ranjith Maddumabandara, while noting that the removal of the IGP could be done only through the Constitutional Council and not by the Subject Minister, said, “There have been allegations regarding the behaviour of the IGP and the Ministerial investigation committee will conduct an independent investigation into the claims and will give necessary recommendations according to the final findings.”
He also reiterated that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe had not requested IGP Jayasundara to resign over the ongoing Ministerial investigation into the latter’s conduct.

“In the previous three years, there have been a lot of raids related to the drug combating mission of the Government. Currently, drugs have become rare in the market. And the crimes rate, rapes, and murders are decreasing gradually. Many mysterious crimes have been solved and internal problems of the Police like salary issues of officers were addressed and resolved.”
He requested the media and the general public to consider the positive side of the IGP in a fair manner without focussing only on the negatives.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Nalin Bandara said that the Government did not have any desire to remove the IGP from his post.