Parliament's security questioned again after staffer's arrest

Opposition MPs again raised questions over the security of Parliament following the arrest of a Parliament employee over the ongoing investigations into the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.

By Sandun Jayawardana

Opposition MPs again raised questions over the security of Parliament following the arrest of a Parliament employee over the ongoing investigations into the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.

Raising a question in Parliament, Mahajana Eksath Peramuna Leader Dinesh Gunawardena said the Parliament staffer's arrest again raises questions over Parliament's security.

He noted that specific intelligence relating to an alleged plan to attack Parliament had been shared beforehand. MP Gunawardena added that steps must be taken to ensure the security of both MPs and the hundreds of employees who work in the Parliament complex.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said intelligence agencies, the armed forces and police conduct daily briefings over security arrangements in Parliament and added that all possible steps were being taken to provide adequate security.

He noted that an employee attached to a subcontractor working on renovating the road network around the Parliament complex had earlier been taken into custody during investigations into the attack while he was informed of the Parliament staffer's arrest on May 19.

Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella meanwhile, said at a pre-Cabinet meeting held last evening, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had informed them that 79 of 80 suspects sought in connection with the Easter Sunday attacks were now in custody and only one suspect was still at large.