MR has more security than MS, says PM

Dinesh reiterates call for official residence 

by Saman Indrajith

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said in Parliament that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was using more security apparatus including a highly sophisticated bullet proof Benz car than even the incumbent President Maithripala Sirisena.

 The Premier said that a posse of 105 policemen including three ASPs and 104 soldiers including a colonel had been detailed to provide security to the former President.

 Responding to a question on the security of former President raised by MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena the previous day, the Prime Minister said in accordance with the provisions of President‘s Entitlements Act and a directive by the Supreme Court a former president was entitled to one official residence, a secretary and a security vehicle, but both former presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Chandrika Kumaratunga have been provided with more security facilities.

The PM said former President Rajapaksa had been using two Benz cars including one bullet proof, a bullet proof BMW, one defender, one double cab, one Land Cruiser for his secretariat, one car, three defenders, three land cruiser jeeps, two double cabs, three single cabs, four trucks, two buses, three motor cycles for the army platoon detailed to him. In addition there were 105 police personnel including three ASPs, two CIs, seven IPs, eight SIs, one WSI, 22 sergeants, three WPSs, 45 PCs, seven WPCs and seven police drivers. There were also 14 army officers and 90 other rankers.

Besides, the former President had taken with him when he left the office one HS5030 Smith Detection X-Ray machine, one WP 200 Searchgate machine, two mine detectors, two explosive detectors, one Nonlinear Junction Detector, one Optical Fiberscope and one Multiple Search Mirror Set, the Prime Minister said.

He said the equipment taken away by the former President were the highest available security tools in the country and not even the incumbent President Sirisena had anything similar. The former President had taken with him a Bullet Proof Benz and neither the incumbent President nor he as the Prime Minister of the country had such a highly sophisticated car. They were using old vehicles with less facilities, he said.

On the request of former President former LTTE arms procurement leader KP, too, had been given a special security, the Premier said. "We did not remove the security given to KP thinking that it would put former president’s life in danger," Premier Wickremesinghe said.

President Sirisena had not moved into the President’s House in Colombo Fort and a house at No 12 Paget Road in Colombo was being refurbished to for him. Once President Sirisena moved to that new house, the one he is using at Wijerama Place would be given to former President Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said.

MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena: Five months have lapsed. Former President has not yet been given a House. Give him an official residence.

Prime Minister: We will discuss and provide an early solution. If he needs more security during the elections we will give that too because we have to provide more security to the Prime Ministerial candidate.