Easter Sunday accusations:
Pivithuru Hela Urumaya leader Udaya Gammanpila yesterday (16) alleged that the government had discussed the possibility of taking him into custody for having in his possession two reports on the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage.
The former Minister said so while addressing the media at the PHU office at Pita Kotte.
Attorney-at-Law Gammanpila said he had information that government leaders examined the possibility of arresting him in terms of the Official Secrets Act and Prevention of terrorism Act (PTA).
Disclosing that he had obtained both reports after Anura Kumara Dissanayake took over the Presidency, following his victory at the Sept. 21 election, ex-parliamentarian Gammanpila said he did not have contacts within the Presidential Secretariat to obtain such reports, but he had learnt from reliable sources that the government was planning to arrest him.
Dismissing Foreign Minister and Cabinet Spokesman Vijitha Herath’s warning on Tuesday (15) that Gammanpila would be appropriately dealt with unless he handed over both reports to the government, within three days, the former Minister said that he would release the reports, sans sections inimical to national security.
Gammanpila said that having exploited the Easter Sunday carnage to his advantage at the presidential election, President Dissanayake couldn’t suppress the reports produced at the taxpayers’ expense.
Gammanpila said that he had received the reports on 10 Oct., and four days later asked government to release them.
The ex-Minister said that the government owed an explanation as to why it went to such an extent to suppress the reports. One of the reports dealt with the working of the intelligence services with the focus on the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) while the second report examined the Channel 4 allegations directed at former DMI head Maj. General Suresh Salley, pertaining to his direct role in arranging the National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) suicide attacks on three churches and three hotels.
Gammanpila said that the government shouldn’t expect him to hand over reports unless an assurance was given publicly that both would be made available to the public.
The ex-MP said that as he promised the reports would be released on 21 Oct. (SF)
