Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing Parliament yesterday, said that a complaint must be lodged prior to making any inquiries against IGP Pujith Jayasundara. He was responding to a query raised by Chief Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake on the telephone call received by the IGP during a Police commemorative event at Ratnapura on November 30.
Commenting on an unguarded telephone conversation he had with a politician where he had allegedly spoke with reference to an arrest made by the Financial Crimes Investigations Division (FCID), The Premier told the House “If there is any allegation against the IGP to lodge a complaint so that an inquiry can be conducted regarding that incident. What the IGP did was to answer a telephone call,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that he and the relevant Minister in charge of the subject will have a discussion with the IGP tomorrow. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya also said that the matter will be taken up when the Constitutional Council meets in the coming week.
“The Government would not stop any investigation or pry on investigations. However, decisions on arrest and detention are matters decided by the Attorney General’s Department and the Government would not make any interference whatsoever on such matters, he further ensured.
The Prime Minister said the call of the IGP had come from a Minister but he did not mention the name of that particular Minister.
The Premier said that IGP explained the matter when he spoke to him and said that the Minister had inquired over the telephone and the IGP had informed him that there would be no arrest as the person concerned had been asked to come to court to hand in some documents.
In a video footage taken at an official function held in Ratnapura on November 30, the IGP was seen answering the call from an unidentified caller where he repeatedly addresses as “sir” who inquires about a ‘nilame’s case’. The IGP is clearly heard telling the caller that “definitely he will not be arrested.”
Premier Wickremesinghe said that the Nilame in question is someone who was with the UNP , the Basnayaka Nilame of the Devinuwara Devalaya and later joined the ‘Rajathuma’ (former President Mahinda Rajapaksa). He said even he knows him.
“He has called to find out if he would be arrested.”
Likewise many MPs also approach us and ask whether they will be arrested. If they approach me, I try to provide some sort of relief. Because we will not treat the people as to how former Government treated Saratha Fonseka,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Maithripala Sirisena told the Parliament on Thursday (December 1) that he would call for explanation from IGP. Responding to a question raised by the Joint Opposition MP Wimalaweera Dissanayake, the President said what was said by the IGP was wrong and I would call for an explanation on this matter.