‘Forces opposing development tarnishing govt’ - Def Secy

Chaminda Perera

“The government yesterday said that certain elements are trying to turn public opinion against it over the killing of Presidential Advisor on Trade Union Affairs Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.

“It said that the forces opposing the country’s development in the aftermath of terrorism are behind this “dirty game of levelling baseless allegations against the government.”

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa in an interview with the Independent Television Network yesterday said that no Parliamentarian was appointed to monitor the activities of the Defence Ministry.

He said that the government decided to appoint two Parliamentarians as supervisory MPs for the Urban Development Authority which comes under the purview of Defence and Urban Development Ministry.

The Defence Secretary said that Parliamentarian Duminda Silva was entrusted with the responsibility of supervising the government programme to build housing schemes in the North and Central Colombo areas for slum dwellers in the city. He said that Colombo District Parliamentarian Duminda Silva did not feature in any matter that related to the defence of the country. He added that the shooting that took place between the groups of the same political party is an unfortunate incident and that it should not have happened.

He was of the view that these incidents are taking place due to the preferential voting system. The Defence Secretary added that the law enforcement authorities have already arrested almost all suspects involved in this incident. He said two suspects who left for India hours after the murder were arrested by the Indian authorities at his request.

Defence Secretary stressed he had ordered a full scale investigation into this murder. ‘The government wants to ensure full and independent inquiry,’ he explained. Defence Secretary Rajapaksa said that the late Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra had not requested additional security from the government.

He said that Premachandra had never made such a request from him. Rajapaksa added that the government provided him security as the Presidential advisor on Trade Union Affairs. He denied an allegation made by the Opposition that law and order does not prevail in the country.

The Defence Secretary added that the people are experiencing freedom and Rule of Law in the country after a lapse of 30 years. He said that the Rule of Law is prevailing in the country after 30 years and people can travel to any part of the country at any time.

The Defence Secretary refuted the allegation that Parliamentarian Duminda Silva was given massive security. “He had only 12 Ministerial Security Division personnel and two of them were on leave when this incident took place,” he added.

He said that the security personnel providing him security were given only two T56 weapons.

“We appointed Minister Keheliya Rambukwella as the Defence Spokesman during the height of humanitarian operations to disseminate accurate news to the world in the face of misinformation being propagated by our opponents,” he added.

He said Minister Rambukwella did not go beyond what he was entrusted to do and did not meddle in the affairs of the military. The Defence Secretary said Parliamentarian Duminda Silva monitored the housing programme for the slum dwellers in the Colombo city.

He insisted that the government has deployed all its capabilities to eradicate the drug menace and underworld gangsters in the country and a massive operation is in progress to eradicate the underworld and the drug mafia in the country.