Opposition MPs among those who signed petition calling for release of murder convict Duminda Silva

October 26, 2020 at 1:45 PM

Tamil Progressive Alliance Leader Mano Ganesan is among those who signed a petition put forward by a group of Government MPs calling for the release of murder convict MP Duminda Silva, NewsWire learns.

Accordingly, 5 MPs from Mano Ganesan’s Tamil Progressive alliance have signed the petition, a MP from the alliance confirmed to NewsWire.

Former Colombo district MP Duminda Silva is currently serving a jail-term after being convicted for the murder of politican Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.

The Sunday Times newspaper reported yesterday that a group of Government Parliamentarians have signed a petition requesting President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to pardon murder convict former MP Duminda Silva.

The Chief Government Whip’s office staff reportedly circulated the petition to obtain signatures of MPs who attended the government parliamentary group meeting held on Tuesday (October 20).

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was not present and it was chaired by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Sunday Times report added.

“The fact that the Chief Government Whip’s office staff circulated the petition and almost all MPs who attended the group meeting placed their signatures makes clear the exercise had official blessings. When the petition goes to President Rajapaksa, the release of Duminda Silva is thus a strong likelihood. When President Maithripala Sirisena was in office, he pardoned Jude Shramantha Jayamaha, the murderer of Yvonne Jonsson, a 19-year-old Swedish girl living in Sri Lanka.” the Sunday Times reported. (NewsWire)