Handunetti prevented from revealing harassment at COPE meetings
Posted on October 28th, 2016

by Saman Indrajith Courtesy The Island

COPE Chairman Sunil Handunnetti was not permitted to tell the House of harassments and intimidation he had undergone at the COPE sessions while investigating the Treasury bond scam.

After tabling the COPE report, MP Handunetti tried to narrate what he had been subjected to by UNP MPs. He had already promised on a previous date that he would tell the House of his experiences. “These recommendations are important. They came from various parties. There was difference of opinion with regard to the recommendations. I have been accused of… (UNP Members shout at Handunnetti)

Leader of the House Minister Lakshamn Kiriella: This is not a debate. Those who clap for COPE chairman have forgotten how it had been done during the Mahinda Rajapaksa government. Thirty COPE reports were relegated to the dustbin.

Handunnetti: Please let me finish. I request from the Deputy Speaker not to let me undergo the difficulty I suffered at the COPE meeting in this House, too.

Deputy Speaker: You presented the report as COPE Chairman. But you cannot be permitted to discuss what happened at committee meetings.

JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake: What you say is right. It is not permissible to make public what transpired there at committee meetings. It is against the tradition. But this is a special case. Newspapers reported that COPE chairman had walked out of a meeting. Some interpreted it as a part of conspiracy. According to some that action was a betrayal.

Some said it was a sell out by COPE chairman. Everybody needs to know what actually happened. The chairman should be given opportunity to explain.

Minister Rauff Hakim: I am also a member of the COPE. I have chaired committees including the Public Accounts Committee. We too have presented committee reports in this House. MP Handunetti could present his report but it is against traditions for him to reveal things that were discussed and what happened. There are ethics and traditions we have agreed upon. Westminster system has given us many traditions. We have to uphold them. The COPE chairman has acted responsibly. When an MP becomes a chairman of a committee he should leave aside his party politics. None of us mixed our politics with traditions. His views could be expunged from the Hansard. Nothing that would amount to harming dignity of the House should be permitted.

Thereafter the Chair instructed COPE chairman to wind up his speech.

4 Responses to “Handunetti prevented from revealing harassment at COPE meetings”

  1. Sarath W Says:

    It is a joke these morons talk about traditions of Westminster system and dignity of the house and continue to talk about what was done during Mahinda Rajapaksa government. The fact that is known to every one now is Mahendren committed the biggest fraud in the history of the state and Ranil did everything in his power to protect him. Mahinda was accuse him of many things that was not proven so far. This is a blatant robbery of the state funds and still the UNP members are trying to protect the crooks.

  2. Ananda-USA Says:

    There are MANY MORE QUESTIONS to be answered.

    Who aided and abetted Mahendran to execute the Great Bank Robbery?

    Who put him up to it, where is the stolen LOOT, and who is shared in the LOOT, for what PURPOSES was the LOOT USED, who is PROTECTING him and AIDING him to FLEE, and WHY, and HOW can the LOOT be RECOVERED, and the CROOKS caught and PUNISHED?

    The PEOPLE of Sri Lanka need ANSWERS to these Questions, their MONEY to be restored to the nation’s coffers, and the LOOTERS and their COLLABORATORS to be PUNISHED severely.

    That would be an EXERCISE in YAHAPALANAYA, don’t you think?

  3. S.Gonsal Says:

    Who aided and abetted Mahendran to execute the Great Bank Robbery?

    Same question should be asked to ALL ROBBERIES AND ALL MURDERS.

    Here it is OK. Mahendran is not a poor man and defenseless. Mr. Lick Clean is always there to protect him. Mahendran did not fight war or risked his life.

  4. Ancient Sinhalaya Says:

    This is how catholic-run traitor UNPatriotic party rules! Used tyres for the Sinhalese getting roasted. Ask traitor
    chief die hard catholic token Buddhist Batalande Wadakaya pol pot ponil wickramaSinhalakiller. Sinhalese
    can’t question/protest. They going to be burnt in tyres or knife in the back. Still a lot of Sinhala modayas don’t
    understand this.

    Traitor thambi mudiyanselage jr(at) started using pathalyin to silence the opposition. Since then traitor alugosuwa
    (to Sinhalese only) lk porisada, traitor alugosuwa (to Sinhalese only) Batalande Wadakaya etc. etc. use pathalyin.
    No problem for them since Sinhala modayas can’t see or understand. Sinhalese are not just modayas. Since traitor
    thambi mudiyanselage jr(at) they have become brain dead as well. COPE or whatever the traitor UNPatriotic party
    get away with it. Sri Lanka is ruled by the biggest crook ever traitor chief die hard catholic token Buddhist Batalande
    Wadakya pol pot ponil wickramaSinhalakiller. So Sinhalese don’t stand chance with this murderous Pathala Man PM.

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