Sagala Undertakes Probe on Telephone Tapping
In an earlier occasion Former President cum Kurunagalla MP , Mahinda Rajapaksha said that his telephone was being tapped . There after there were news items that judges’ telephones were tapped.
Mr. Warnakulasuriya,who represented Duminda Silva in the Bharatha Lakshman murder case, had alleged that the phone of the judge presiding over the case had been tapped. Incidentally, Mr. Warnakulasuriya was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka by President Sirisena on the 1st of August.
In this connection Minister of Law and Order Sagala Ratnayake said yesterday, that it was the policy of this government to preserve the independence of the Judiciary. Hence, if a written complaint is made it will be thoroughly investigated.
In this connection Co-Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Rajitha Senaratne stated yesterday (5th October) that no tapping of phones has been done after the 8th of January last year.
Minister Sirisena went on to state that the allegation, which was of a serious nature, had been brought to the President’s attention
Deputy Minister of Media, Karunasena Paranawithana addressing the allegations, stated that Mr. Warnakulasuriya as a Director at TRC should have made an official complaint without making a scene in front of the media, and also noted that the judge himself should have come forward and made a complaint if his phone was tapped.
Responding to queries as to how an official appointed by the President to a government body could be alleging wrongdoing by the government unless there was truth in it, Minister Senaratne humorously responded that there was a term in English called ‘black sheeps’ used in such situations.
