Sri Lanka: CID team questions 4 MPs over attack on protesters in Temple Trees, Gale Face

Amid the country’s worst economic crisis in Sri Lanka, at least four members of the parliament including former MPs Rohitha Abeygunawardena and CB Ratnayake were questioned by the country’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officers on Wednesday, reported Colombo Page. The investigation team recorded the statements of the four MPs after a notice was issued by the court. The CID officials even visited the Parliament on Tuesday and took statements from several other members of the Sri Lankan parliament. 

The country’s Attorney General on Monday had instructed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of the CID to arrest and produce in court 22 persons at the earliest. These individuals included former minister Johnston Fernando and DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon in connection with the attack on the peaceful protesters at Maina Go Gama in front of the Temple Trees and Gota Go Gama in Galle Face Green in Colombo on May 9, according to the media report.

Earlier this month, more than 100 protesters were wounded at the Galle Face site after the violent clashes resulted in a nationwide curfew with the country’s tri forces ordering to shoot at sight anyone who vandalised public property or caused personal harm on May 12. 

The unrest in the country escalated as Sri Lanka is facing the worst economic crisis since its independence. Sri Lanka is subsequently scrambling efforts to tackle food and fuel shortages, soaring prices and power cuts which are affecting a large number of the citizens. This has further resulted in significant protests over the government’s handling of the financial crisis. 

The recession in Sri Lanka is attributed to the foreign exchange shortages caused by a drop in tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic and economic policies such as the ban on chemical fertilizers to make Sri Lanka’s agriculture “100% organic”. 

Sri Lanka govt mulling to sell national airlines

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s new government is planning to sell its national airline in a bid to stem the losses and stabilise the finances. Even though authorities are being forced to print money to pay government salaries, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in a televised address to the nation on Monday that the new administration is planning to privatise the Sri Lankan Airlines. 

Just days before the island country is set to formally default on foreign debt, Wickremesinghe said that Sri Lankan Airlines had lost around 45 billion rupees or $145 million in the year ending March 2021. The Sri Lankan PM stated, “It should not be that this loss has to be borne by the poorest of the poor who have not set foot in an aircraft.”

Image: AP/Representative