Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga visited former Presidential Secretary Saman Ekanayake, who is currently remanded at Magazine Prison.
Issuing a statement, Kumaratunga said she does not usually visit prisons but described Ekanayake as “a good person and a skilled administrator.”
“We need a skilled administrative service to run the country,” she said.
Kumaratunga alleged that targeting administrative officials who are not politically aligned with a particular party began during the government of J.R. Jayawardena and claimed that the current administration is continuing what she described as political revenge carried over from past governments.
She said the country requires experienced administrators such as Ekanayake, noting that entering the public administrative service requires significant skill and merit.
The former president said she visited the prison to express her disapproval over the situation.
“I have worked with him closely. He is a very good person,” she added. (Newswire)