Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had visited former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and discussed her security requirements under his directive.
Rajapaksa in a statement said that former Defence Secretary Rajapaksa, after a discussion with her chief security officer provided her with personnel and facilities.
The Former President rejected the statements by some politicians that he filed a motion before Supreme Court to obtain an order to reduce the security of former President Kumaratunga.
The statement: “A statement by certain government politicians to the effect that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had filed a motion in the Supreme Court to obtain an order reducing the security of former President Chandrika Kumaratunga has been given much publicity. We unreservedly reject that statement.
“Neither President Mahinda Rajapaksa nor the Presidential Secretariat nor the Defence Ministry filed any such motion. The case that is being referred to was filed by an NGO.
“At a request by former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, the then Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had gone to see her at her residence and after a discussion with her chief security officer, provided her with the personnel and facilities. Despite the court ruling, no change was made in her security arrangements.
“The requests by her chief security officer at various times, were always met.
“Certain bankrupt politicians are making statements aimed at justifying their own vengeful action in the eyes of the public. Under this government, there have been attempts to revive the LTTE. Earlier, this year, a plan by the LTTE diaspora overseas to use former LTTE operatives to assassinate a TNA Parliamentarian was uncovered with several arrests being made. Two claymore mines which were to be used in the attack were also recovered. “Dangerous LTTE operatives held in detention are being released by this government. My government rehabilitated over 11,000 LTTE terrorists, and kept only a couple of hundred hardcore terrorists deemed impossible to rehabilitate, in detention. These are the operatives who were released by the government. It is in such a backdrop that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s security contingent has been reduced in numbers.
“I wish to emphasise that it is the bounden duty of the present President and Prime Minister to ensure the security of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who ended the three decade long war.”
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