President Mahinda has dispatched an investigation team to Mannar

To investigate issues connected with Mannar agitation, arrest, Courts verdict, attack on the judiciary, background information connected with the agitation and the alleged role of Minister Rishad Batiyutheen - President Mahinda Rajapaksa has sent in a high-powered investigation team to Mannar and the report is expected most probably either by today or tomorrow.

When contracted Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister of Water Supply and Drainage and the Chief Government Whip - he said in the Eastern Province of course there is a little dispute , because SLMC is running on their own and that is one issue. But there is this Mannar issue that has cropped up. For Mannar of course President has sent an investigation team and the report is expected either today or tomorrow.

When asked about the people who have gone for investigation, the Chief Government Whip said ”a top team has been sent for investigation.”

He said, in the meantime counter statements are being made by the respective Minister and by his followers, and then by the Bar Association and there has to be a corrective way to see the real situation and anyhow the Government is committed to maintain the law and order and the dignity and decorum of the judiciary has to be maintained.

Minister Dinesh Gunawardene when speaking to Asian Tribune said there are various undercurrents and various people are trying to put one against the other, local issues, political issues and other issues you know and we hope that we will be able to see the real truth soon.

When asked further about those who went to investigate were whether politicians or Ministers, he said no politicians are involved and the Justice Minister has also sent in his own investigation team to Mannar, because judiciary is his responsibility and it is also his responsibility to report on the judiciary side of the events.

But the team sent by the President to investigate are responsible to gather information of what happened, the background, what counter statements that are being made, all these have to be properly checked.

The local issues in Mannar are very very sensitive. Minister Dinesh Gunawardene said, “I was there last month, issues of Tamil people returning, issues of Muslim people returning, and issues of ownership etc and these have to be handle very carefully. Whether we like it or not we have to respect the law and order in the country.”

When asked whether President will consider taking any steps in case the investigation find faults with the Minister Rishad Bathiyutheen, he said that President will not rush and he will discuss it with relevant parties. “You know various people are demanding so many things. Some wants Minister Rauf Hakeem to resign because he is contesting on his own and some wants Rishad Bathiyutheen removed saying that he is the ‘culprit’, like that and those demands crop up in hot politics. The clear fact is that , the walk-out by the judiciary and that is the main factor that will have to be taken into consideration", as the world is watching and in the end some corrective measures has to be taken, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said.

- Asian Tribune –
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