'Good moral character'
However, JDS can now reveal the Sri Lankan police unconditionally cleared Candauda Arachchige Priyantha Prasanna Chandraprema, the country’s Ambassador designate to the UN in Switzerland.
The committee chaired by opposition lawmaker MA Sumanthiran is due to meet on 7 February.
Declaring that CA Chandraprema is of “good moral character”, Senior Superintendent of Police, KG Laksiri Geethal, provided the following answer to questions by the committee.
Question: “According to your knowledge has he/ she been convicted by a court? Otherwise, have there being complaints against him/ her about regarding criminal incidents? If so what are those details?”
Answer: “Not revealed by investigations.”
Police have failed to provide information to the committee that Chandraprema, also known as “Thadi (fat) Priyantha”, was identified as a leading member of PRRA by a senior police officer, Douglas Peiris, himself named in a presidential commission appointed to probe human rights violations in the 80s. Both men were detained as a result.
Ranil and Douglas
In his affidavit, which is easily available online, Senior Superintendent of Police, Douglas Peiris, testified that he was introduced to Thadi Priyantha (aka Chandraprema) by then a government minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe.
SSP Douglas Peiris
Peiris also made startling allegations in his affidavit in 2000 regarding (now former Prime Minister) Ranil Wickremsinghe, which were never tested in court or proved:
“I am also aware that the gang led by Thadi Priyantha, as instructed by Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, killed the following persons: (i) Person by the name of Perera who served at the Kelaniya Tyre Corporation. (ii) Lawyer of Hulftsdorp, Mr. Daya Lankapura. (iii) Lawyer of Hulftsdorp, Mr. Kanchana Abeypala. (iv) Lawyer of Gampaha, Mr. Nissanka. I was aware that the group led by Army Lieutenant Nissanka and Senanayake, who were close to Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, carried out operations in civvies within the Gampaha District as instructed by Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe..”
The Committee on High Posts is tasked with “examining the suitability of any person who has been either appointed to any post or nominated to hold office in any post determined by the Cabinet of Ministers and to make recommendations in regard to such persons” according to the Sri Lanka Parliament website.
