Expulsion case: SC mention tomorrow

Wasantha Ramanayake

COLOMBO: The Expulsion case filed by Policy Development and Plan Implementation Minister and Government Defence Affairs spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella against the United National Party will be mentioned in the Supreme Court tomorrow.

The case will be mentioned before a Bench comprising Justice Nihal Jayasinghe, Justice Nimal Dissanayake and Justice Raja Fernando.

Minister Rambukwella filed the petition seeking to nullify his expulsion from the United National Party. He further sought a declaration that he could not be expelled from Parliament.

Petitioner Minister Rambukwella stated that UNP General Secretary N.V.K.K. Weragoda informed him in a letter dated August 8, that he had been expelled form the party for purportedly violating the party Constitution.

The Minister argued among other matters that the purported expulsion was void and without any force in law since the panel which conducted the disciplinary inquiry of the petitioner had not been properly constituted.

He stated that he joined the Government ranks since he wanted to support the Government's effort to find lasting a solution to the ethnic issue.

The Minister stated that he had been elected to the Parliament from the UNP in 2004 and joined the government ranks on January 25. He was later appointed as the Minister of Policy Development and Plans Implementation and the Government Spokesman for Defence Affairs and National Security by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

He stated that the he informed his decision to join the Government to the Kandy District Balamandalaya and Tissa Attanayake, the Deputy General Secretary of the UNP was well aware of the same.

The Minister stated that he had been issued a charge sheet that included five charges and had appeared before a panel of three members for the disciplinary inquiry appointed by the Working Committee of the UNP.

He cited the UNP, its leader Ranil Wickremasinghe, UNP Secretary General Weragoda, three members of the Disciplinary Panel Ariya B. Rekawa, A.B. Thalagune, V. Thilakarathne, Election Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake, Parliamentary General Secretary Priyani Wijesekera and the Attorney General as respondents.

The case will be mentioned on Wednesday.