Defense Secretary's security infringes on Special privilege- UNP MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 May 2007, 20:14 GMT]
Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse should be called before the Parliament Special Privilege Committee and questioned on violation of an Member of Parliament's (MP's) special privilege, said United National Party parliamentarian, Mahinda Ratnatilleke, tabling a special privilege motion when the House of Representatives met around 9:30 a.m, presided by Speaker W.J.M.Lokubandara, parliamentary sources in Colombo said. The MP said that his special privilege has been violated when the police made him to wait nearly 30 minutes inside a hotel until Gothabaya Rajapakse had passed Galle Face road, delaying his presence at the sitting of the house

The police at the entrance of Taj Samudra hotel had stopped his vehicle as he was coming out after attending a wedding saying that traffic along Galle Road was being temporarily blocked as the Defence Secretary was on his way to his office, according to Mr Ratnatilleke.

The public too had to wait for more than half an hour, and the public cannot be inconvenienced every time the Defence Secretary travelled about in Colombo, the MP said.

The Speaker said that he would consider the motion.