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by our Parliament correspondents

There were disturbances in Parliament yesterday when UNP MP Abdul Cader rose to make a statement while Government MPs expressed their protest over making the statement claiming that it would violate the Standing Orders and Parliamentary traditions. In his statement, Cader was referring to his recent arrest.

It was UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa who first raised the issue drawing the Speaker's attention that the matter Cader was referring to, is before Courts and that such an issue can't be discussed in Parliament. However, Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara ruled out the issue raised by Weerawansa. "I have read out the whole statement and there is nothing wrong," he said.

This prompted Minister Dinesh Gunawardena to also raise a point of order. He said no member can refer to a matter before Courts. "The member has been given permission to participate at the Parliamentary sitting.

He can't refer to a matter before Courts. One should not make attempt to interfere into a case before Courts".

UNP MP Joseph Michael Perera explained that still no case has been filed in Courts concerning the incident where Cader was taken into police custody.

"There is no case before the Courts. Only a B report has been filed by police. Even MP cader has not been served with a charge sheet", Perera said.

Minister of Justice and Judicial Reforms W.D.J. Seneviratne said if Cader was allowed to make his statement, it would set a bad example.

"He had been produced before Courts on a B report. This would set a bad example if he was allowed to make the statement," the Minister said.

Weerawansa stressed that this statement would seriously affect the independence of the Judiciary and that this should not be allowed in the House.

Gunawardena too emphasised that even a Member of Parliament was bound by the law and order. "We have to uphold the Parliamentary traditions. Therefore, the statement should be completely expunged from the Hansard," he said.

However, Speaker Lokubandara allowed MP Cader to make his statement.

"I have carefully gone through this statement. It is about his recent arrest made by police. This Parliament has a right to talk about such an incident," the Speaker said.

After that, Cader continued with his statement.

His full statement:

"I ask the indulgence of the Speaker to make a brief statement bringing to the notice of the House a series of disturbing developments which took place during the last few days.

I want to make it clear that I ask for no privileges and no special treatment.

The law of the land must apply equally to all citizens, without any discrimination whatsoever. If I have done any wrong, I am prepared to take all the consequences without complaint.

If there is the slightest finding of wrongdoing made against me by a competent court, I will quit politics altogether and submit to any punishment.

I have neither the need nor the desire to misappropriate one million rupees. God has provided me with abundant material resources, and I have given generously of my wealth over several decades in order to relieve the suffering of the poor.

The public of Gampola and the neighbouring areas in the Kandy district in particular are well aware of the extent of my benefaction without any expectation of personal gain or reward. During the last 25 years I have spent over Rs. 5 million each year during the Ramazan fast for the relief of poverty.

Moreover, I have helped a large number of Buddhist temples and Hindu kovils in the Kandy district to a substantial extent.

I am proud of this record of public service.

No court of law has found me guilty of any offence, and I assert my total innocence. Nevertheless, the manner in which I was arrested at my home in Abdul Gafoor Mawatha on Tuesday August 10 is a travesty of justice.

Every requirement of our law has been violated. There was no need to take me into custody at all. The police got in touch with me at 11.00 in the morning on August 10 and requested me to present myself for interrogation on the following day, Wednesday August 11 at 10.00 in the morning.

I readily agreed to do so. I was surprised to receive a second telephone call at 4.00 in the afternoon on the same day Tuesday August 10, that the police wished to visit my residence that same evening for the purpose of obtaining a statement from me.

I invited them to come to my home. They arrived about 6.00 p.m. The first utterance which they made was that I was under arrest.

I asked them the reason for my arrest. They told me brusquely that that will be explained at the police station.

At this point Mr. Ruwan Gunasekera, Inspector of Police, grabbed me by the hand while I was seated and ordered me to get up. A serjeant pushed me from behind.

My wife attempted to use the telephone for the purpose of communicating with our lawyer, but she was not permitted to do so.

The telephone was disconnected by the police officers.

I was not allowed to wear my slippers.

The police refused to allow me to take my tablets and other medication which I require on a daily basis. I was put into a jeep and driven away. It was a long drive. There was no word of explanation about the destination or the reason why I was taken away.

I was driven to a house in Moratuwa where I was subjected to a medical examination. It was only thereafter that I was driven back to Colombo to be produced before the Chief Magistrate of Colombo at her residence at 10.45 in the night.

I was not allowed to eat anything during the whole evening.

There are minimum standards to which every citizen of this country is entitled as of right. My purpose in bringing these facts to your notice, Mr. Speaker, is to ensure that a dangerous trend which has been initiated recently is nipped in the bud.

This trend is to arrest Members of Parliament belonging to the Opposition as a means of silencing them through intimidation. These arrests are carried out by a special until of the Police operating outside the norms applicable to police action. This unit is politically manipulated and politically motivated.

The Inspector General of Police says that he is unaware of the actions of his subordinates. There is no proper chain of command or responsibility.

I assure the House that I will not be held to ransom by terror tactics of this kind and I will not be deflected from the path of public duty which I have followed during the last 40 years.

I request you respectfully, Mr. Speaker, to examine these circumstances and to take prompt action to ensure that this degrading and humiliating treatment is not meted out in the future to any of my colleagues in this august Assembly, whichever party they may belong to.

I thank you Mr. Speaker."

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