Tirade against naval officer in SampurEx-security forces top brass urges CM to tender apology

by Harischandra Gunaratna-May 28, 2016, 10:55 am 

Rear Admiral (Rtd) H.R. Amaraweera yesterday said President Maithripala Sirisena should order Eastern Province Chief Minister Ahamed Nazeer to tender an apology to the Naval officer Captain Ranjith Premaratne for scolding the latter in public.

Amaraweera addressing the media in Battaramulla said, "The Chief Minister's conduct was unbecoming and he behaved like a mental patient.  He had no right to abuse a Naval officer in public and it was the first time that an officer of the security forces had been abused at a public gathering," Rear Adm. (Retd.) Ananda Peiris, the former Director General of the Civil Defence Force said the security forces were not bound to carry out the orders of politicians and they came under the Commander in Chief of the forces who was the head of state.

Asked why the retired top brass of the security forces was now making such a hue and cry when earlier an army major was assaulted by former minister Mervyn Silva's son Malaka and the Mahinda Rajapaksa government hushed it up and they were silent about it, Major (Rtd) Pradeep Undugoda said, "We protest if politicians assault security forces members and such action will not be tolerated.