"Sajith, Kshenuka Should Have Been Suspended "

( October 7, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sajin Vass Gunewardena should have been suspended before initiating the probe into the assault of Dr. Chris Nonis, Prof Rajiva Wijesinha, MP has said while speaking to BBC Sandeshaya.

As Foreign Secretary Kshenuka Seneviratne's name too is involved, it would have been prudent for President Rajapaksa to suspend her as well until the probe was concluded, Wijesinha has added.

Didn't assault

Noting that the entire incident was a serious stain tarnishing Sri Lanka, Wijesinha says that all activities and discipline of the ministry have become waned in the face of the ministry's monitoring MP being fully empowered to take decisions instead of the minister and deputy minister.

He further added that facts in one of the articles he wrote two years ago are now being proved. In the article, he cited of an organised process to remove educated, intelligent diplomats and isolate the President within international circles.

Prof. Wijesinha has also said that he had earlier proved with facts how Foreign Secretary Kshenuka Seneviratne had attempted to disrupt international relations of Sri Lanka.

'Told tales'

Speaking at length with BBC's Saroj Pathirana, Wijesinha has said that the most recent example was Seneviratne influencing the President not to meet with the Indian Minister of External Affairs - Sushma Swaraj, when she visited Sri Lanka in the past as an opposition MP.

Tales were told to the President, who in return, attempted to avoid meeting her, Wijesinha added.

Under this backdrop, if measures are not taken to punish perpetrators after initiating a complete probe over the Chris Nonis assault incident, it could also lead to the breaking of global trust with regard to other internal probes, Wijesinha has further noted.

Attempts by BBC Sandeshaya to contact Sajin Vass Gunewardena and Kshenuka Seneviratne over these charges raised had been unsuccessful.

(Source - BBC Sandeshaya / Sri Lanka Mirror)