DNA parliamentarian General Fonseka raises privileges issue in parliament

Sri Lanka's Democratic National Alliance (DNA) parliamentarian General (Retired) Sarath Fonseka today (20) raised a privileges issue in parliament alleging that the Army Commander had refused permission for him to attend two consultative committee meetings in parliament on Friday (16).


General Fonseka last week was not permitted to attend the consultative committee meetings on the ministries of Health and Public Administration of which he is a member.
Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa in response said he would look into why General Fonseka was prevented from attending the two consultative committee meetings.
"I was ready to come for the meeting but I was told that the Army Commander has not given me permission to come to Parliament," General Fonseka said.
The legislator is currently being detained pending two military tribunals against him for involving in political activities while in uniform and for allegedly committing fraud in an arms deal that involved his son-in-law.