Government insists Mahinda’s security not cut

The Government today insisted that the security of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has not been reduced.

Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella told Parliament that the security of the former President is important to the Government.

He said that the threat level to the former President is always assessed and security provided accordingly.

Kiriella was responding to concerns raised by opposition Parliamentarian Dinesh Gunawardena over media reports that the army security provided to Rajapaksa was to be withdrawn.

Rajapaksa?s office said yesterday that at present only 102 Army personnel have been assigned to provide security to the former President and of this number, 80 provide security while 22 are administrative personnel.

?The Government has started releasing dangerous LTTE suspects who had been held in detention under the PTA. The Rajapaksa government rehabilitated and released over 11,000 LTTE cadres and only two to three hundred hard core terrorists were kept in detention with a view to taking legal action against them. These are the terrorists who are now being released. It need not be stressed that this has placed the life of President Rajapaksa in danger. In these circumstances, it is the duty of the Government to strengthen the security arrangements for former President Rajapaksa by assigning more personnel for his security,? Rajapaksa?s office added.

His office said that with the release of the most dangerous LTTE terrorists held in detention, the Government is duty bound to take suitable steps not only to protect former President Rajapaksa but also the other armed forces and civil officers who provided leadership to the war. (Colombo Gazette)