Firearm Licenses Issued Without Training

By Indika Sri Aravinda-Sunday, April 19, 2015

The Defence Ministry had issued 3,000 firearm licenses in the resent past to persons who had not been trained in weapons handling.

According to informed sources, these weapons licences were issued to politicians, security force personnel and leading businessmen.

However, around 200 of these personnel who were granted these firearm licenses have been trained at the Special Task Force camp in Katukurunda on the use and handling of firearms, while the rest of the 2,800 persons who received the licenses will undergo training in the future.

One of the course participants who recently underwent the training, the UNP Mahiyanganaya organizer Dr Pradeep Wijewardena said that he had been given training over a period of five days and four hours per day.

He further stated that in addition to the handling and usage of the weapons, he also underwent training on the instances that these weapons can be used as well.

These weapons are issued by the Defence Ministry on the recommendations of a special committee. Dr Wijewardena further saud that during the past, although those issued with weapons licenses were given training on the use of these weapons by the Army, they had not been educated on the laws pertaining to the use of a firearms.

On the 02nd of last month, those who had been issued with the firearm licences had been summoned to the Defence Ministry and were informed that anyone who did not undergo the firearm training program would risk losing their licence.

When The Sunday Leader contacted the police spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekara in this regard, he said that the training was carried out by the STF in accordance with a circular issued by the defence ministry and that the police was bound by secrecy to not reveal the personal details of the participants. However, the police spokesman said that so far no survey had been made on the number of weapons in our society.