Former Secretary of Defence Hemasiri Fernando claimed President Maithripala Sirisena directed him not to invite the Prime Minister, State Minister of Defence and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for National Security Council (NSC) meetings.
By Sandun Jayawardana
Former Secretary of Defence Hemasiri Fernando claimed President Maithripala Sirisena directed him not to invite the Prime Minister, State Minister of Defence and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for National Security Council (NSC) meetings.
Testifying before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, Mr Fernando said the NSC was convened only on four occasions during the period he was Secretary of Defence from October 30, 2018 to April 25, 2019.
Accordingly, the NSC was convened on November 13 and December 3 in 2018 and on January 4 and February 19 in 2019.
Mr Fernando said the President issued him specific instructions not to invite the Prime Minister, State Minister of Defence and the IGP for NSC meetings.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and even former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was PM briefly during October to December, 2018, were not invited to attend the NSC meetings during the period he served as Secretary of Defence, he further claimed.
Testifying earlier before the PSC, suspended IGP Pujith Jayasundara also said he had not been invited to attend NSC meetings for six months from October 23, 2018 to April 23, 2019 on the orders of the President.
IGP Jayasundara said he was informed by then Secretary of Defence Kapila Waidyaratne that the President had said the IGP need not attend the NSC meetings. The IGP said he had also been told that there was no need to send any officer as a replacement either.
When queried by the Committee why he believed he had been excluded from the NSC meetings, the IGP claimed it could be due to a trust issue.
Mr. Ali Sabri Rahim, a Member of Parliament (MP) for Puttalam District whom an open warrant had been issued, attended a public ceremony at Al Aksha National School in Kalpitiya today (16) as the special guest of honor.
All Ceylon Makkal Congress MP Ali Sabri Raheem had been arrested by Kalpitiya police after he surrendered to the police today morning.
Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena has been sent on compulsory leave pending disciplinary investigation over his failure to prevent the Easter Sunday bombings.
The 22nd amendment to the constitution dealing with the term of the President has been gazetted by order of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Auspicious times widely followed by candidates keeping with traditions will be taken into consideration by the Election Commission in fixing the date and time for the conduct on the Presidential polls.
The Cabinet of Ministers has granted policy approval to change the wording “exceeding six years” in paragraph (b) of Article 83 of the Constitution to “exceeding five years” with reference to the President’s tenure.
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