News
Chris Nonis’ resignation accepted; probe ordered
The External Affairs Ministry on Friday accepted the resignation of Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Chris Nonis, ten days after he had tendered it to President Mahinda Rajapaksa following a physical assault he alleges was inflicted on him in New York last week by Sajin Vass Gunawardena, the Government MP Monitoring the Ministry.
High Commissioner Nonis said yesterday that his resignation letter to President Rajapaksa had clearly specified that he was assaulted.
“I said in my letter that I had been assaulted,” he told the Sunday Times. He also confirmed that his resignation had been accepted on October 3 (Friday). He is learnt to have submitted his resignation soon after the alleged assault on him by Monitoring MP of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) at a private dinner party hosted by a Sri Lankan businessman in New York on Tuesday, (September 23). The incident occurred in the early hours of September 24.
Hours after Dr. Nonis’ resignation was accepted by a fax message sent by the Ministry’s Acting Secretary, Chitrangani Wagista, the Government Information Department issued a brief message saying President Rajapaksa had ordered an inquiry into the incident in New York and a complaint made by the EAM Secretary Kshenuka Senewiratne. It gave no further details as to what the complaint was or who would conduct the inquiry.
Gamini Senarath, the President’s Office Chief of Staff, who was in London, is reported to have spoken to Dr. Nonis over the incident, but it was not clear if it was on the directions of President Rajapaksa to get the High Commissioner to withdraw his resignation. Dr. Nonis had also been invited to attend a regular meeting of the Sri Lankan Diaspora later this week in Rome where Mr. Vass Gunawardena would also have been present, but Dr. Nonis had turned down the invitation.
Dr Nonis, a medical practitioner who lived in the United Kingdom for several years was made High Commissioner by President Rajapaksa in 2011. Mr. Vass Gunawardena agreed to be interviewed by the Sunday Times via email as he was travelling but did not respond to the questions sent to him. On Thursday, the EAM had announced a news conference was to be held by the Government MP but it was cancelled within 90 minutes. He was quoted by a private TV station, however, as saying he did not assault Dr. Nonis but claimed there had been an argument.
“It has already been widely reported in the media and I confirm that I was unlawfully assaulted by the Monitoring MP of the Ministry of External Affairs in New York on September 24,” Dr Nonis said. “I discussed this with His Excellency the President and tendered my resignation on the same day. I returned to London that evening,” ”My resignation has been accepted on October 3,” he added. “I would like to thank sincerely and appreciate very much the opportunity provided to me by His Excellency the President to serve our country and our people which I feel I have done to the best of my ability.”
Dr. Nonis also said he was “absolutely unaware” of an inquiry that President Rajapaksa has reportedly ordered on allegations made against him by Secretary to the MEA Kshenuka Senewiratne. “I am absolutely unaware of this inquiry except what I hear from the press,” he said. Both Dr. Nonis and Mr. Vass Gunawardena are currently in Sri Lanka.
(Details of the incident in the Political Commentary)