Abduction, extortion claims baseless - Muslim Ministers

Rohan MATHES

COLOMBO: Claiming the recent allegations of abductions and extortion to be totally unfounded and baseless, Muslim Government leaders categorically ruled out resigning from their posts.

Addressing the media at the Information Department Auditorium in Narahenpita, in response to Kegalle District UNP Parliamentarian Kabir Hashim’s demand for quitting posts, in their failure to ensure the safety of Muslim businessmen, Muslim Government leaders, comprising Ministers A. H. M. Fowzie, Amir Ali and Rishard Bathurdeen, Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana, SLMC General Secretary Nizam Kariappar and Presidential Advisor A. H. M. Azwer strongly ruled out their resignations based on this issue.

Fowzie said although there were rumours that around 20 Muslim businessmen had paid millions of rupees as ransom, on inquiry and investigation by them, only two such cases had been detected.

“It has not been known yet who was responsible for these two incidents. We are still investigating and the other rumours for which no complaint has been made yet. If it is proved that the Government is involved, we will then definitely resign from the Government.

But we are definite that the government is not at all involved. The Government has taken full responsibility of investigating and arresting the situation.

We are not merely watching, but taking all steps at our disposal to find the culprits and punish them,” Fowzie said.

Kariappar said that there are very serious doubts on the veracity of the rumours as their investigations too proved them to be unfounded. Azwer was of the view that this was solely a political conspiracy of the UNP and Zionism in which Ranil Wickremesinghe was the local agent.