{"id":184639,"date":"2017-11-22T12:25:23","date_gmt":"2017-11-22T06:55:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=184639"},"modified":"2017-11-22T22:18:43","modified_gmt":"2017-11-22T16:48:43","slug":"parliamentary-privileges-not-violated-by-checking-phones-of-mps-suspected-of-wrongdoing-vasu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/parliamentary-privileges-not-violated-by-checking-phones-of-mps-suspected-of-wrongdoing-vasu\/","title":{"rendered":"Parliamentary Privileges Not Violated By Checking Phones Of MPs Suspected Of Wrongdoing \u2014 Vasu"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vasudeva Nanayakkara<\/a>, MP, contends that it is well within the law and not a contravention of parliamentary privileges to check the phone records of MPs suspected of wrongdoing and submitting such findings to the particular court or commission.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Vasudeva Nanayakkara<\/p><\/div>\n

Nanayakkara, referring to a privileges question raised subsequent to revelations that certain members of COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises) had communicated with the prime suspect behind the Central Bank bond scandal<\/a>, Arjun Aloysius, said in a media release that once a Comission appointed by the President has been tasked to investigate, if the said Commission fails to conduct such investigate that would be an infringment of privileges of all MPs.<\/p>\n

He also pointed out that the investigating officers had checked the phone records of Aloysius and not those of the relevant MPs.<\/p>\n

Nanayakkara charged that investigating officers are now being queried by their superiors in the Police Department, a state of affairs which he considers a challenge to the Commission. Whether such queries have been initiated by the IGP or a higher political authority is unknown, Nanayakkara said.<\/p>\n

The media release follows a statement by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to the effect that the Privileges Committee would take up the matter of telephone conversations of COPE members and that a discussion with party leaders will also take place. The Speaker was referring to a complaint made by Minister Lakshman Kiriella on Monday.<\/p>\n

MP Bandula Gunawardana of the Joint Opposition meanwhile has stated that Kiriella\u2019s assertion was erroneous since the phones of COPE members had not been tapped, as revealed by the PCoI.<\/p>\n

Kiriella, however had explained that what was objectionable was not investigating but leaking the information to the media.<\/p>\n

Another Joint Opposition MP, Udaya Gammanpila, countered \u2018people should know how the MPs act and asked why the government was trying to keep it a secret, when the Right to Information Act was now functional.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018The Presidential Commission of Inquiry is a public commission. It’s proceedings should be transparent,” he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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