Bathiudeen detention: Ranil raises Privilege Issue
He urged the Speaker to inquire from the AG if there is evidence against MP Bathiudeen to file charges or release him without detaining him arbitrarily for a lengthy period without charges being filed in Court.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday morning, Wickremesinghe said it is a violation of the Privileges of Members of Parliament, adding that the Speaker of the House has a responsibility to safeguard the rights and the privileges of MPs.
“MP Bathiudeen has been detained under detention orders in relation to the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks and if there is evidence against him, then let them proceed with the case. If not, he must be released. This is not a matter of only the MP but the whole House. It is understandable that the investigations may take a month or two, but when it takes longer than that, we are compelled to raise concerns. Therefore, I urge you (the Speaker) to write to the Attorney General and ask him if charges could be filed against MP Bathiudeen with the evidence they have in hand or not.”
Wickremesinghe also said that while Bathiudeen was detained over the Easter attacks, now they are still holding him in custody over another case on the grounds that he will interfere with the evidence. “In that case present the evidence they have to support this allegation, because if an MP is interfering with evidence in a case, that is a big issue.”
Even the Easter Sunday Presidential Commission report has not been fully submitted to Parliament, he said, adding that only a part of the report had been tabled. “If the complete report is tabled in Parliament, it will reduce much of the issues. If that cannot be done then we must be notified.”
Wickremesinghe said that at the time of the incident he was in charge, adding that while charges are being levelled against the IGP and several DIGs who were in charge at the time, they had performed their duties to the maximum. “They carried out their duties to the letter and I cannot claim that they did not do their job properly. That was the New Year week and there were many events taking place throughout the country. In fact, there was a big cycle race organised for that Sunday morning. Hence, the Attorney General should consider all these facts. They went ahead with all these events with the consent of the Government. They stopped these only when we told them to do so. I was there that day and I cannot say that they neglected their duties.”
However, he said that while he cannot speak on behalf of the Police in Parliament, as an MP he has the right to raise the issue pertaining to Bathiudeen. “The next time they could simply arrest and detain any of us on allegations that we supported someone’s case.”
The Former Premier said the matter is not limited to MP Bathiudeen but the entire House and therefore he urged the Speaker to take appropriate decisions promptly.
In response, the Speaker said he would look into the matter.