CBK stripped more and more

Moves are underway to get former President Chandrika Kumaratunga to return six more vehicles which belonged to the Presidential Secretariat but are now in her possession. Presidential Security Division (PSD) chief S. M. Wickremasinghe has written to the Presidential Secretariat asking it to collect the six vehicles given to former President Kumaratunga by the Secretariat.

The call to reacquire the six vehicles came as police this week took away most of the motorcycles and other vehicles assigned for the former President. Police have back nine out of 10 vehicles and 17 out of 18 motorcycles that had been given to Ms. Kumaratunga.

In addition, 20 commandos and eight other staff members including drivers for commandos and also four vehicles given to commandos were withdrawn.

During the week, personal belongings of former president’s official residence at Independence Square were removed. However a deadline has not been set for her to vacate the premises. The former president wrote to incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa this week calling on him to review her security but so far there had been no acknowledgment of the letter, a spokesman for the former president’s office said.

The Supreme Court in a judgment on May 3 ruled that the former president was not entitled to additional retirement benefits other than what she was entitled to under the President’s Entitlement Act. Accordingly additional security provided to her was reduced and she had to vacate the house occupied after her retirement.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the former president told The Sunday Times that Ms. Kumaratunga is not due in Sri Lanka immediately but may return after June following her daughter’s wedding.