President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday assured Parliament he would call on IGP Pujith Jayasundara to explain his remarks regarding arresting persons through the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) during a speech at a Police commemorative event in Ratnapura.
Following the conclusion of President Sirisena's speech during the committee stage debate on Budget 2017, under the expenditure heads of Ministries of National Dialogue, National Integration and Reconciliation and Disaster Management, Joint Opposition MP Wimalaweera Dissanayake got up and demanded to know from the government as to how the IGP had promised that a certain individual would not be arrested by the FCID, even before the investigations had begun.
"We saw on TV the previous night how the IGP was bending the law again. This time he tells a minister over the phone that the FCID would not arrest a particular nilame. I would like to know whether the IGP was referring to the Basnayake Nilame of the Devinuwara Devale, Mahesh Gunasekera," MP Dissanayake queried.
The President, responding on behalf of the government, said, "I too watched that on TV. What the IGP did was completely wrong. I intend to summon and ask for an explanation on his statement."
Thereafter, MPs from the Opposition profusely thanked the President and thumped their desks in approval of the President's quick response.
