Several MPs visit Patali at Colombo Remand Prison

Colombo (News 1st): Former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka who was placed in remand custody is currently at the Colombo Remand Prison. Former Minister Sajith Premadasa and a group of MPs visited Patali Champika Ranawaka today (December 20). Speaking to the media MP Sajith Premadasa noted that they will stand with Champika Ranawaka who contributed immensely to their election campaign. He added that they are working towards doing everything within the democratic framework of the country to secure his freedom. MP Ajith P. Perera said this is a serious incident of political vengeance. He added that they were searching for something against him and when they couldn't find anything they remanded him for a traffic offence. He went onto note that the government came into power promising to nab those involved in the bond scam, they promised to nab those who were involved in deforestation, they came into power promising to jail murderers and thieves, they said that they will nullify the Hambanthota Port, but now they are saying all of these agreements are fine. Meanwhile, the leader of the United National Party Ranil Wickremesinghe too visited Patali Champika Ranawaka. Speaking to the media he noted that a few days ago they informed the court that there are no allegations against the Minister, after that in violation of parliamentary traditions, they only informed the speaker of the matter after he was arrested. He believes that the leaders in parliament are hoping to discuss the matter with the speaker. He added that there is no reason to arrest him at night and pointed out that there are no new eyewitnesses in this case. MP Mano Ganesan also spoke to the public regarding the arrest;

Mano Ganeshan: They are holding him in police custody on the basis that he damaged public property. Journalist: Didn't such incidents happen during your reign as well? You did remand them like this didn't you? Mano Ganeshan: We did not do anything like this, that is the problem here.

The spouse and relatives of Thusith Dilum Kumara, the driver of Patali Champika Ranawaka filed a complaint at the Human Rights Commission over and incident of forcibly questioning them. Former Councillor of the Western Province Nirosha Athukorale noted that Thusitha and his wife along with their 1 and a half-year-old baby were taken from their house after 12 in the night, and questioned inside a van in Battaramulla for over 8 hours. He said a police officer named Meththananda was the one who headed this and a female police officer had only accompanied them home after they were taken to Galle.  He noted that all of them were male officers. Athukorale noted that there was a mother with a baby and she faced many difficulties when breastfeeding her child amid all of these male police officers. He added that if there was a complaint against them, and if there were in hiding there would have been no problem, however, he stressed that all of this happened after 1 year. Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri in a letter to the National Police Commission said, the police had not followed the proper procedure when arresting former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka. The letter addressed to the commission's chairman K.W.Karaliyadda urged the official to look into this matter and to take the necessary measures in this regard.