Sri Lanka lawmakers continue protest over probe on ex-president
A protest held by Sri Lankan legislators supporting former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has been summoned by Sri Lanka’s anti-graft body, has continued into a second day.
The protesters said on Tuesday that the summons was an insult to the 69-year-old ex-leader.
Sri Lanka’s Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption has asked Rajapakse to appear before the commission on Friday.
The anti-graft commission is investigating claims that Rajapakse paid a top member of the opposition to defect shortly before January’s presidential election, in which the former was beaten by incumbent Maithripala Sirisena.
Sri Lanka’s opposition lawmakers launched their protest on Monday in the country’s parliament, calling on the speaker, Chamal Rajapakse, who is the former president’s eldest brother, to halt the probe.
Opposition lawmaker Bandula Gunawardane told the parliament on Tuesday that the head of the anti-graft commission, Dilrukshi Wickramasinghe, should be fired for her “arbitrary action” in launching the probe.
“Today, 113 lawmakers signed a petition asking the speaker to take action to remove Dilrukshi Wickramasinghe,” said Gunawardane.
President Sirisena has recently ordered a series of investigations against Rajapakse’s close allies into the allegations of corruption. However, it is the first time he is challenging the former strongman.
Rajapakse’s younger brother, Gotabhaya, who served as defense secretary under his brother, is also summoned to be questioned by the commission on Wednesday over unrelated corruption claims.
A court has already imposed a travel ban on Gotabhaya while an arrest warrant has been issued for another one of his brothers, Basil, who served as economic development secretary during his brother’s tenure and fled the island nation soon after this year’s election.
MSM/HJL/HMV
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