Search for bulletproof vehicles on Welgama’s estate draws a blank

by Hemantha Randunu-October 18, 2016, 10:00 pm 

The Police Special Investigation Unit (SIU) yesterday morning descended on a 250-acre estate belonging to MP Kumara Welgama (UPFA, Kalutara District) at Horawala, Matugama, claiming they had information that two bullet proof cars were hidden there. They left-empty handed after an exhaustive search.

The team carried out the search for about two hours. A senior police officer told The Island that a team headed by an ASP had carried out the search operation on a court order obtained from Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne.

The police team comprising about 50 officers and men entered MP Welgama’s property at 9.45 am, causing quite a stir in the area.

Police headquarters sources said the SIU had carried out the search operation on information made available by state intelligence services.

MP Welgama accused the government of trying to tarnish his image by conducing such search operations. He said such intimidatory tactics were being employed in a bid frighten the critics of the government into submission.

"I have been an SLFP organiser for Agalawatte for 35 years and represented parliament continuously for 23 years."

Alleging that the government and the police had caused immense damage to his reputation, Welgama said that he would take action against them for causing an afront to his dignity as a people’s representative. He said he would take up the matter with the Speaker of Parliament.

The Kalutara District MP said that he had never misused government owned vehicles as he and his family had never been short of their own vehicles as was known to one and all in the Kalutara District. He said the government was mistaken if it thought it would be able to make him buckle under pressure.