Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been provided a security contingent of 187 Police and STF personnel, Law and Order and Southern Development Minister Sagala Ratnayaka said.
The Minister, making a clarification on the matter raised by MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena in Parliament on Wednesday over the security of former President Rajapaksa, said 26 STF personnel trained on VIP security have been attached to the security contingent of Rajapaksa. He said the former President was given a security contingent of 229 Police and STF personnel, but this number was reduced by 42 following a threat assessment on VIPs. “Threat assessments are conducted at regular intervals of six months. The reduction of numbers in the security detail of former President Rajapaksa was not politically motivated.
It was done by the IGP after a careful analysis. MP Dinesh Gunawardena spoke to me over this matter. If former President Rajapaksa wants additional security at any special event, we can make arrangements in that regard and deploy more security officers from the Ministerial Security Division (MSD)” Minister Ratnayaka explained.
The minister said former President Chandrika Kumaratunga is given a security contingent of 59, adding that the security of MPs Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne and M.A. Sumanthiran have also been enhanced due to security risks.
NFF Leader Wimal Weerawansa asked if the security of MP Sumanthiran was tightened due to LTTE threats, how the Government can claim that the security threat on former President Rajapaksa has lessened.
“Was the IGP standing from his head when he conducted the threat analysis? This is certainly a ploy to put former President Rajapaksa’s life in danger by gradually lessening his security,” he accused.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera replying to this claim pointed out the Tamil extremists groups are protecting the Joint Opposition leaders with all their might as of the information received. “Tamil separatists who want to disrupt the reconciliation process want the JO to fulfill their goals.
"Thus, they protect the JO with all their might,” Minister Ratnayaka added.