The Hon. Ananda Wijepala - Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, with regard to the issue raised by the Hon. Leader of the Opposition, I wish to express our regret about the unfortunate incident at court yesterday.

¶ 02 In recent weeks, several clashes among organized criminal gangs have been reported. The shooting yesterday has our fullest attention. Necessary decisions have been taken, and within hours yesterday, the suspect involved in the shooting was arrested: Samindu Dilshan Piyumanga Kandanarachchi of Maharagama, apprehended around 4.30 p.m. in the Puttalam area. The van and its driver were also taken into custody, and investigations continue including into a suspected female accomplice. There is no threat or obstruction to national security. These are localized underworld activities—clashes among organized crime gangs—that have occurred in society for a long time.

¶ 03 In times some claim were secure, media institutions were torched, journalists were killed on the streets, and many were assassinated—some cases unsolved even after 10–15 years. We are investigating those too. The suspect arrested yesterday is linked to several murders in the past two weeks. We investigate each incident separately and swiftly bring perpetrators before the law. We do not consider isolated incidents as a breakdown of national security. We assure you that national and public security are intact.

¶ 04 Regarding judges’ security: there has been no withdrawal or reduction of security for judicial officers. Police continue to provide perimeter and gate security to courts. Internal court security was provided by a private security company; police officers were not permitted to carry firearms inside court. That was a key factor in this unfortunate incident. The suspect was brought under STF security; you know what transpired inside. If any individual, especially media personnel, requires protection, we are ready to provide it after a threat assessment. We are mindful of media security.

¶ 05 In conclusion, national security has not in any way collapsed. We investigate each incident and will bring underworld and narcotics-linked offenders rapidly before the law. Thank you.