Gunaratnam used different name - Basil

Chaminda PERERA

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa yesterday said that the Frontline Socialist Party gained massive media coverage for staging sequences of events related to Premakumar Gunaratnam and Dimuthu Atygalle.

He said that the person in question has appeared under a different name. The minister said that this person has posed as Mudalige to obtain an Australian passport.

Responding to queries made by the members of the media at a press conference held at the Economic Development ministry yesterday, Minister Rajapaksa said the government was not aware of his ploys until he appeared at the Police on Monday night.

Minister Rajapaksa said that this person who arrived in the country last November is a visa over stayer . “This person in question in his statement given to the Police has accepted that he has posed- off under different name”, the minister said.

Minister Rajapaksa said that LTTE activists operating in foreign countries may have infiltrated the country using the same methodology without the knowledge of Sri Lankan authorities, though the country succeeded in eradicating terrorists who wore cyanide capsules around their necks in 2009.

Minister Rajapaksa said that the government implemented an online visa application system to tackle this type of wrongdoing from January this year. The people and in particular the media should extend their support to the law enforcement authorities to enhance national security in the country.

“This type of incident is inevitable, when security arrangements such as check points were relaxed. The government cannot be on alert all the time, “ he said.