Maithripala to be removed from SLFP Secretary’s post

Sunday, 03 March 2013

The President has decided to remove Minister Maithripala Sirisena from the post of SLFP Secretary and to appoint Minister Dullas Alahapperuma to the post instead, reliable sources said.

The President its is learnt is angered by Sirisena’s statement to the media that gave the impression that the President was trying to use the incident involving an attack on the son of a DIG by his son, to ruin his political career.

Sirisena also said that his life was under threat, but refrained from stating from whom he was facing the threat. However, the sentiments expressed by the Minister indicated that he referred to the President.

The President has told several ministers after the SLFP Central Committee meeting last week that he could no longer allow Sirisena to hold the post of SLFP Secretary after hearing the statements. Several members of the President’s personal staff had also participated at the discussion. “I will do the same thing I did to Mangala to him,” the President has said.

We earlier reported that the incident involving Sirisena’s son was given wide media publicity with the President’s knowledge. MP Namal Rajapaksa and Mahinda Illeperuma from the President’s Media Unit had intervened in the matter on a Presidential directive.

The President has personally asked the CEO of Rivira Media Corporation, Gairuka Perusinghe, Rivira Editor Sisira Paranathanthri and Head of the Hiru media network, Raynor Silva to carry out a campaign against Sirisena in the media.

It was Mahinda Illeperuma who had coordinated the matter with the state and some private media. Namal Rajapaksa has also used the help of websites supportive of him to publish articles against Sirisena.

VIDEO: POLICE FIRE TEAR GAS TO QUELL CLASH AT ANANDA-NALANDA

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Naked Truth About The Cover Up Assault On Pasikudha Beach

By Nirmala Kannangara-Sunday, March 03, 2013

The attempt

by the police to cover up the alleged assault on Asela Waidyalankara, by Health Minister, Maithreepala Sirisena’s son, Daham Sirisena, has raised many questions.

Police Media Spokesperson, SP Buddhika Siriwardhana, is accused of denying that the brawl hat took place on the Pasikudha beach on February 24, was a major incident and that no police officer on petrol other than the DIG’s son, was injured. However, reliable sources at the Valachchanai Hospital confirmed to The Sunday Leader that two police personnel attached to Kalkudha Police were admitted to the hospital for injuries sustained during the clash.

Not only the police officers attached to the Kalkudha Police, but also many in the Batticaloa region were surprised as to how the police are now trying to cover up ministerial offspring who went on the rampage on the Pasikudha beach not only injuring a Senior DIG’s son, but also two police personnel on petrol along the beach during the long weekend.
The victim Asela is the son of DIG Batticaloa Ravi Waidyalankara.

“If the police itself are denying that two of their fellow members came under attack on the Pasikudha beach by a gang led by Daham Sirisena, it is shameful to say that we are attached to Sri Lanka Police. If we cannot talk on our officers behalf what is the use of wearing this uniform? If these two police officers were injured because of their own fault we would not raise our voice, but in this instance they have gone to rescue a civilian who was under attack by a mob. The way how the suspects were released few hours after the incident is highly questionable, when the victim was taking treatment at the Intensive Care Unit at the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital,” a police officer attached to Kalkudha Police said on condition of anonymity.

According to him, the police are only permitted to give bail for minor offences, but never when a victim is hospitalized and especially at a time when the victim is under treatment at the ICU.

Bail on What Basis?

“We do not know on what basis Kalkudha OIC granted police bail to these suspects, who were arrested when the victim was on treatment in the ICU for severe blows he received to his head, lip and other injuries sustained at the clash. Under the terms of Criminal Procedure Code and Penal Code, there are bailable and non-bailable offences. The OIC can give bail for bailable offences, but when a victim is taking treatment at the ICU, there is no way the police can release the suspects. They have to be produced before a Magistrate to get bail. In this incident not only was Asela taking treatment at the hospital, but also two of our own officers. This is highly questionable. In future will the police follow the same procedure when politics are not involved?” the sources questioned.

It is also alleged that a Health Ministry driver was amongst the suspects taken into custody together with the vehicle, which belonged to the Health Ministry, in which they came to Pasikudha.

“We are yet to find out these details and once we get the information we will confirm it,” the police sources said.

According to sources, Daham Tharaka, Sudharshan, Janith, Situm Sandesh, Koshitha Himal, Anendra Sharith, Anuradha Dias, Anjelo Chanaka, Isuru Maduranga, Upul Sanjeewa, Dhananjaya Vishwanath, Indika Weerasinghe and Sanka Ariyaratne were arrested over the attack on Asela.

“Out of these 13, Upul Sanjeewa, Dhananjaya Vishwanath, Indika Weerasinghe and Sanka Ariyaratne, are believed to be security officers of the minister. We are now in the process of verifying this too,” added the sources.
Be that as it may, the victim, Asela Waidyalankara speaking from his hospital bed at Central Hospital Colombo, described the ordeal he and his wife had to undergo on Sunday 24 on the Pasikudha beach.

What Happened

‘Two of us together with two of our friends were holidaying at Malu Malu when we had to face this unfortunate incident. I went to the room to keep some of our belongings after a boat ride, leaving my wife and the two friends on the beach. When I was coming back to the beach I saw a well built dark man with a gold chain taking off his trunks. He was standing just behind my wife although she did not know. Another man from faraway was taking photographs of my wife intruding on her privacy with the nude man showing off his genitals behind her. I was terribly shocked over the manner in which my wife’s pictures were taken with the nude man in the background. As I too am a good photographer, I knew that this man was using a high-end camera to capture these shots. I slowly walked up to him and politely wanted him to delete my wife’s photos in front of me in order to make sure that my wife’s pictures were not there. This made him and his gang embarrassed and they assaulted me in front of the local and foreign tourists who were on the beach,’ Asela said.

Asela was in pain when he was talking as five to six sutures had been put to his upper lip.

“I got severe blows to my head, face and stomach. I was also nursing an injury to my left shoulder following a shoulder operation a few weeks ago. When I was trying to escape from the blows I was receiving from about 15 people, my shoulder pain was aggravated and I felt uneasy. However, with all this I saw two policemen patrolling the beach and called for their assistance. When they came for my rescue, they too came under attack from this gang,” Asela said.

According to Asela, his wife too had been attacked by this mob and refused allegations levelled against him for provoking this group.
“I was so polite to them and never wanted even to have any argument over what happened. That’s why I told the man with the camera that we have come for a holiday to have a good time and so have they and let’s have a wonderful holiday and enjoy our stay. Am I so mad to fight with a group of around 15 people and especially with a group who were behaving like animals? They were under the influence of liquor and I was nursing my left shoulder. In order to pass the blame on to me they can make any allegation, but the hotel in which I was a resident guest and the tourists who were on the beach, bear testimony to all what happened,” said Asela.

Thanks To Malu Malu Staff

He further thanked the staff of Malu Malu who helped stop the bleeding from his lips.
“It was they who gave me ice and butter to stop the bleeding from my upper lip which was split into two. It was they who told me that the main suspect was the Health Minister’s son. Although I was bleeding profusely from my lip and the hotel staff wanted to take me to the hotel for first aid I was adamant that I should wait on the beach for the police to come as I had a feeling that this group will pack their bags and move away. It took 10 to 15 minutes for the police to come and when they wanted me to get into the police jeep to take me to the hospital I did not want to get in since my father is the DIG. When I wanted to go to the hospital in my own vehicle the police did not allow me so I had to go in the jeep. I never wanted to take an upper hand as the DIG is my father,” Asela said.

He had got himself discharged to come to Colombo for further treatment after the JMO visited him the following day
Asela believes that some of the people who assaulted him were from the Ministerial Security Division (MSD).
Attempts to contact Health Minister, Maithreepala Sirisena, and his son, Daham Sirisena, for comments failed and the reporter was requested to speak to W.D. Wanninayake, Press Officer Health Department, to get Minister Sirisena’s side of the story.
Speaking to The Sunday Leader, W.D. Wanninayake said Minister Sirisena haddecided not to make any further comments on the issue.

“The media has written one side of the story, but not the minister’s side. That was why the minister held a press conference to give his side of the story. Based on what he said at the press conference, Daham Sirisena had not assaulted a person who was meditating on the beach. When the incident was reported, the minister had not gone to see his son, but to see the DIG’s son. The DIG’s son had not sustained any injuries, but had got himself admitted to the Batticaloa Hospital to get a CT scan of his shoulder. It was not the DIG’s son – Asela that was assaulted, but it was Asela that had assaulted the minister’s son – Daham. He has received multiple injuries to his head and has had five sutures,” Wanninayake said.

When asked whether this reporter can visit the injured Daham Sirisena to talk to him and also to photograph the wounds he had received to his head, Wanninayake refused any permission to meet the ‘injured.’
Highlighting The Secret

“The minister does not want to highlight this and that was why this was kept a secret. It was unfair for Asela to come and ask Daham to show his camera when he was enjoying himself on the beach. This has led to an argument and nothing much as reported in the media. The minister has asked Asela’s family whether to provide an ambulance to take him to Colombo the following day. He had waited at the Kalkudha Police for eight hours until the police finished their investigations and released him,” Wanninayake said.
He further disclaimed that Daham was accompanied by the MSD officers and had travelled in a Health Ministry vehicle.
When DIG Batticaloa, Ravi Widyalankara, was contacted for a comment, the request was turned down, claiming that he did not want to interfere in police investigations.

“Asela is my son. Other than that I am not ready to make any comment over this issue as I am a police officer and do not want to interfere in this investigation. The police will do their job. I am only concerned about my son’s health condition,” DIG Widyalankara said.

Meanwhile, Police Spokesperson, SP Buddhika Siriwardena, said the Kalkudha Police had submitted the report to the Magistrate’s Court Valachchanai.

“The case will be taken up tomorrow (Monday),” SP Siriwardena said.
Asked as to whether Daham Sirisena has received any injuries at the brawl and how the police could give bail to the 13 suspects when the victim was taking treatment at the ICU, SP Siriwardhana said the Kalkudha Police have followed the general procedure and have given bail to the suspects.

“No one has pressurized the police. They have followed the general procedure. In regard to Daham neither he nor any suspect has received injuries,” SP Siriwardhana said.

- See more at: http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2013/03/03/naked-truth-about-the-cover-up/#sthash.V085x22F.dpuf