SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa has responded to allegations made in court linking meetings with TMVP leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan to the ongoing Easter Sunday investigations, saying his visit to Pillayan while he was in prison was “no secret”.
In a statement, Namal Rajapaksa said prison records would confirm his visits to Pillayan in 2018 and 2019, noting that the TMVP leader was part of the alliance at the time and had contested both the 2015 Presidential Election and the 2018 Local Government Election with them.
“It is no secret that I visited TMVP leader Sivasathurai Chandrakanthan, also known as Pillayan, while he was in prison in 2018/19. In fact, prison records of my visits are very much available,” he said. (Newswire)
- Full Statement
It is no secret that I visited TMVP leader Sivasathurai Chandrakanthan, also known as Pillayan, while he was in prison in 2018/19. In fact, prison records of my visits are very much available. At the time, he was party to the alliance, contesting both the 2015 Presidential Election and the 2018 Local Government Elections.
Purportedly the CID travelled all the way to France to investigate the Easter attack, naturally this raises questions about the government’s priorities. If officers travelled all that way simply to confirm my visit to Pillayan, then it is clearly a waste of public funds. To my knowledge, Pillayan is not currently being detained in connection with the Easter attacks. So who exactly is the government trying to convince with these media spectacles?
The NPP itself has shared different narratives about the Easter attacks at different times. If the government is now trying to use this tragedy to target political opponents, it would be deeply unfair to the victims and their families, who still deserve genuine answers and justice.
We are ready to face any fair inquiry and will cooperate fully with the CID to clear any doubts openly and transparently. Instead of focusing on political drama and media headlines, the government should focus on delivering meaningful results for the people of our country.