UNP MPs yesterday said that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe’s voluntary statement to the Presidential Commission on the Bond issue demonstrated his support to the ongoing process.
Addressing a press conference at the Parliamentary complex,
UNP MP J. C. Alawathuwala said that no Government member had interfered with the functions of the Presidential Commission appointed to look into the Treasury Bond issue. However, the MP said that there was a doubt whether the CID and the Attorney General’s Department divulged the information on several telephone calls, to create a ‘media show’ to tarnish the image of a group of Government members. The MP said according to the law, a suspect is considered to be innocent until he is found guilty.
UNP Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman said, “After this Treasury Bond incident occurred, an Opposition MP was appointed to the COPE. During the former Government, all those appointed to the Committees were Government MPs. When MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe was the COPE Chairman, then Government prorogued the Parliament and appointed D.E.W. Gunasekara as the COPE Chairman,” he said.
He further stated that if these allegations are true, then the Government should attempt to defend them. But all MPs in the COPE endorsed that report and referred it to the Attorney General.
Meanwhile, UNP National List MP Prof. Ashu Marasinghe said a group of UNP MPs who met the Speaker yesterday drew his attention on the breach of privileges of MPs, by giving publicity to these telephone calls.
“As a country which hails democracy, we are of the view that telephone conversations of MPs should not be tapped. The Speaker agreed to look into the breach of privileges of MPs,” Prof. Marasinghe said.
The Government lawmakers also asked why the CID cannot find out the details on 70 telephone calls given from Temple Trees on the day of the assassination of rugby player Wasim Thajudeen.