Prez and PM to be summoned

The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) probing the Easter Sunday bombings have discussed the summoning of the President and Prime Minister before the Committee.

Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the PSC Ananda Kumarasiri said that there had been talk amongst the committee members on summoning President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

“We have not come to any firm decision on the matter,” he said.

“The Prime Minister could be summoned, but the Committee has to first decide on whether we are to summon the President and Premier. Thereafter, we have to see whether the President could be summoned before a parliamentary committee.”

JVP Parliamentarian Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, who is also a member of the PSC, however, asserted that the Committee will most likely summon President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe.

“According to the 19th Amendment, the President can be summoned before a parliamentary select committee,” he said.

A senior source of the PSC investigating the 21 April attacks also confirmed that the Prime Minister could be summoned, but was unsure of the legality in summoning the President.

The next sitting of the PSC will be held on Tuesday (18).

The Committee is scheduled to summon the current OIC as well as the former OIC of the Kaththankudy Police station on Tuesday.

In addition, the Committee will be summoning the Chairman of the Sufi Organisation in Kaththankudy.