Damage caused to Parliament Chamber: CID begins investigations | Sunday Observer

Damage caused to Parliament Chamber: CID begins investigations

16 December, 2018

The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CID) has commenced investigations into the damage caused to the Parliament Chamber by its members in several incidents during the past month.

Secretary of the Committee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners (CPRP), Sudesh Nandimal Silva was called by the CID yesterday to make a statement further to his earlier complaint, Chairman of the organisation, Attorney-at-Law, Senaka Perera told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

“We were surprised when we were asked to make a further statement all of a sudden as there was a delay on the investigation.

This incident occurred on November 15 and we made the complaint to the police on November 19. They’ve taken almost a month to launch investigations,” he said.

According to Perera,the damage to property in the Parliament chamber amounts to an offence under the Public Property Act which calls for punishment of not less than seven years. “These acts do not fall within parliamentary privileges, hence action can be taken against the culprits.

Parliamentary business was obstructed on November 15 by several members of the Sri Lanka Podujana Party, who were seen around the Speaker’s chair while Arundika Fernando MP was seated on the Speaker’s chair to obstruct the commencement of the day’s business.

The complaint had been lodged against MPs Arundika Fernando, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Prasanna Ranaweera, Wimal Weerawansa, Niroshan Gamage, Gamini Lokuge and Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle.

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