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UNP, SLFP distance themselves from Hirunika
View(s):The two main ruling parties yesterday disowned Hirunika Premachandra, the Colombo District parliamentarian at the center of an alleged abduction scandal.
“She is not a member of the United National Party (UNP),” their General Secretary Kabir Hasheem told the Sunday Times.
He claimed she was from the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) and their joint committee would have to discuss the matter.
However Ms. Premachandra contested on the UNP ticket and came tenth among eleven members elected from the district.
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) spokesman Dilan Perera told the Sunday Times, “She is no longer a member of the party. Thus there is no question of our party taking action against her.”
The remarks came as Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) law maker Vijitha Herath charged that the Police were under heavy pressure not to deal with Ms. Premachandra.
“The previous government was toppled due to the ‘white van’ culture but now we have a ‘black defender’ culture,” he said. He claimed she was accountable since her vehicle had been used by her personal staff.
However, Nuwan Wedasinghe, Assistant Superintendent attached to the Colombo Crime Division said, “We have no evidence so far to prove she (Ms. Premachandra) was involved in this case.”
He told the Sunday Times that two statements have been recorded from the MP but she is not implicated.
Six members of Ms. Premachandra’s personal staff were arrested and later remanded over the alleged abduction of U. Priyankara (26).
This incident is said to have occurred on December 21 when her security men had gone to the workplace of the young man at Dematagoda and taken him away by force. He had been beaten up later and released.