Wijedasa - Rajitha - Champika involved in argument

Wijedasa - Rajitha - Champika involved in argument

Avant Garde Cabinet discussion becomes heated

It was I who told Marapana to resign -- Ranil says

A special Cabinet discussion was held last evening in relation to the Avant Garde weaponry

transaction which has already created a sensation. It has taken a very heated outlook, according to what political sources say.

At the commencement of the Cabinet meeting the President announced  officially to the Cabinet that Minister Thilak Marapana has resigned from his position. Subsequently what the Prime Minister had said was that some days ago the Minister of Law and Order and Prisons Thilak Marapana has made a partial statement in parliament in favour of the Avant Garde Company and because of it some Ministers as well as civil organisations and the public had begun to cast a suspicious look on the Yahapalana Government. He said that when Minister Marapana came to see him to discuss matters relating to this issue that he had explained that more than anything else the trust of the public is important and that it would be more suitable if he was to resign from his position enabling investigations to be carried out in a transparent manner.

On that occasion Ministers Champika, Rajitha, Arjuna and M.K.D.S. Gunawardena had continuously argued saying that a formal inquiry should be conducted regarding it. At that moment what Minister of Justice Wijayadasa Rajapaksa had said was that he does not see any blunder committed by the Attorney General in this connection. Minister Rajitha and Champika who lost their temper over that statement of the Minister had shouted out and expressed their opinion and ended up involving themselves in an argument with the Minister.

Since Minister Wijayadasa or Mr. Marapana were not present at the time previously last week when this debate took place at the Cabinet meeting and Minister Wijayadasa was present yesterday, the discussion had turned out to be somewhat of a heated affair, it was reported. It was also understood that the debate had lasted for about 2 hours. During this process, the Prime Minister too had intervened here and there and expressed his views.

But what the President had remarked was that he had been unable to look into this matter so far but that he would take action from that day soon to bring this issue to an end and that a special meeting would be summoned next Wednesday and that he hopes to arrive at a final decision by next Friday. The President yesterday also announced that he invites all Ministers who takes an interest in this Avant Garde matter to join in at the meeting.