Lack of vehicles to transport 108 soldiers and 105 policemen for MR's protection

A lack of vehicles to transport former President Mahinda Rajapaksa's security personnel has jeopardized the former President's security, former President's Media Co-ordinator Rohan Welivita said in a statement. The statement reads as follows Referring to the security provided to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Rajitha Senaratne said at a press conference on Tuesday that the former President has been provided with two high security vehicles, one 'dummy' vehicle, one Defender, one Toyota Land Cruiser and one double cab. He further said that 108 soldiers and 105 policemen have been assigned for the protection of the former President and that these security personnel have been provided with three double cabs, one Land Cruiser, two vans, one bus and eight motorcycles for their use. According to Minister Senaratne, a total of 21 vehicles have been provided for the use of the former President. We wish to inform the public that this statement is not correct and that the former President has been provided with only six vehicles at present. All the vehicles that were assigned to the police personnel in the former President's security detail were withdrawn on March 3 by letter bearing reference number SP/04/0/8 issued by Secretary to the President P. B. Abeykoon. As Minister Senaratne said, there are in fact 108 soldiers and 105 policemen who have been assigned to protect former President Mahinda Rajapaksa but they have no vehicles. The former Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga wrote to the present Secretary to the President P. B. Abeykoon on March 162 stating that problems have arisen as there are no vehicles to transport the Army and Police personnel in the former President's security detail. There has been no response to this letter as yet. We wish to remind the public that it was former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who won the war against the LTTE which was officially designated by the FBI as the world's deadliest terrorist organisation. After the defeat, attempts were made by former LTTE cadres to regroup with the help from the Tamil diaspora. These attempts were detected early and prevented by President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government. As such there is an ever present threat to the life of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his security should be a matter of the highest priority. It need not be stressed that the lack of vehicles to transport his security personnel has jeopardized the former President's security.