Whilst declining to elaborate on the meeting that he held yesterday at the Bishops Conference Centre, with the President, he reiterated that they have given the government their recommendations on the way forward.Referring to allegations of tampering with the investigations, he said that if any individuals were found to have sought bail for suspects who have been arrested, it would infer a serious lapse that he thinks the government should scrutinize. “We expect the government to handle the investigations responsibly, as we too are answerable to our own communities,” he said. “If any individuals are found to have amassed significant amount of wealth within a short span, we believe that too should be investigated, even if it means getting the Presidential Commission to probe such matters.”
He however lamented the security search operations adding that a comprehensive search had not been conducted in Negombo. “We wanted every house checked and weapons seized, however we were told that during the clashes on Sunday, swords and other knives were used. They were found abandoned in a canal and we were told it was brought in to the area,” he said. “If the Security Forces had done a thorough search, these weapons would not have come out.”
He insisted that the reason for them to request the Security Forces to conduct a thorough search was to ensure that if there was a clash, these weapons would not be used either to cause physical harm or to vandalize properties.