by Easwaran Rutnam
The government was last week put to the test on its good governance policies following an incident involving parliamentarian of the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) Hirunika Premachandra.
As the government looked to bury the notorious ‘white van abduction’ years, it was forced to deal with an abduction of a youth using a Defender jeep registered to ruling party MP Premachandra.
A group of security officers of Premachandra were accused of abducting 34-year old Amila Priyanga of Gothatuwa from a textile shop in Dematagoda.
Premachandra said she was not directly involved in the incident but was aware of it and added that it was done when her officers intervened in a private issue.
She claimed that the Priyanga was taken by her staff members in an irresponsible manner to urge him not to break the family of someone known to her and her security detail.
Amila Priyanga claimed that he was abducted by the men and taken to a location in Kollonawa where Premachandra herself was present.
Priyanga said that Premachandra, who entered Parliament after contesting under the UNP ticket at the last Parliamentary election, was seated when he was brought in.
“She got up and then leaned onto a table and told me that she is capable of abducting anyone no matter where she is. She also said she is a lawyer and knows how to deal with people. She warned me and told me to stop what I am doing. I then told her why she should have gone to the police and not abduct me. She said there is no need to go to the police and that she will do what she wants,” Amila Priyanga said.
Amila Priyanga also claimed that Premachandra threatened him and assaulted him, an allegation she denies.The six men, including five security officers of the MP, abducted Priyanga in broad daylight and put him into a Defender jeep bearing the license plate number 62-1859 which is registered under the name of the MP.
The entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras which was later used by the police to arrest the suspects.
The Colombo Additional Magistrate, on Wednesday ordered the six men involved in the abduction to be remanded till January0 4.
However, Premachandra herself was not arrested as of last Wednesday but police spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekera said that her statement was recorded by the Colombo Crimes Division.
Lawyers said that under local laws Premachandra should have been arrested after information on the incident came to light as she was accused of directly or indirectly being involved in the abduction of the man and threatening him.However, she denied the allegation that she was at the Kolonnawa location where Priyanga was allegedly brought .Meanwhile at a press briefing held on Tuesday, Premachandra slammed some media institutions saying they were targeting her as they were connected to a former politician accused over the murder of her father.
When being questioned as to why she attempted to take the law into her own hands over concerns she had on Priyanga instead of going to the police Women and Children’s Bureau, she said that if she went to them the case would have dragged.
She also accused the Bureau of not having officers who can speak in Sinhala. When she was continuously grilled over the incident she ended the press conference.
United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Parliamentarian and lawyer Udaya Gamanpilla said that there are concerns as to why the police did not arrest the MP when she herself admitted that she took full responsibility over the incident.Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath said that the ‘defender jeep abduction’ shows real change is yet to take place in the country.
The government however said that it will allow the law to take its course and anyone found guilty will be dealt with accordingly.
Premachandra insisted that she respects the law and will allow the legal process to decide on the fate of those involved in the incident.
The MP has been pushing for justice over the murder of her father Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and has been gunning for former MP Duminda Silva who is the main accused in the murder. However, a senior government minister told The Sunday Leader that Premachandra’s action needs to be dealt with seriously as it would otherwise be a bad precedent.
