Police was sent to the Katunayake FTZ following Defence Secretary’s orders
– IGP
2011-06-01
IGP Dr. Mahinda Balasuriya has told a former IGP today morning that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa after ordering him to send policemen to attack and chase away the JVPers has now saved his skin by placing the blame on the IGP.
The former IGP currently holds a key position in the government.
IGP Balasuriya had today sent a letter to the Presidential Secretariat requesting for permission to retire from the 18th of the month and to go on leave from now on till the date of retirement.
He would be 58 years on June 18. An IGP could continue in the service till the age of 60 and the previous heads of the police force have served till the age of 60 after getting service extensions.
IGP Balasuriya has held several discussions at the Police Headquarters today and has been very emotional.
The IGP had said that when the free trade zone (FTZ) workers had last week protested while obstructing the Colombo-Katunayake main road and destroyed a cut out of the President, the Defence Secretary had called him and reprimanded him asking why the policemen on duty had kept silent and that the President had called and shouted at him in filth.
Therefore, the Defecne Secretary has personally ordered him to ensure that the protesting FTZ workers are not allowed to obstruct the Colombo-Katunayake main road, the IGP has said. He has asked all police officers not to fall in trouble by trying to carry out political directives.
The Presidential Secretariat is scheduled to release a special statement to save the Defence Secretary in the face of growing public dissention against him following the attack on the FTZ workers.
Minister Dullas Alahapperuma has prepared the statement in a manner to say that the Defence Secretary had not ordered policemen to attack the protestors and that the President was not aware of any such incident.
