Udaya Gammanpila, leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya and Colombo district candidate, publicly challenged Minister Vijitha Herath to a debate on recent controversies surrounding the Easter Sunday reports and government borrowing. Gammanpila, speaking at a press conference on November 4 at the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya headquarters, accused Minister Herath of misleading the public about the Alvis report findings and loans allegedly obtained by the government.
Gammanpila claimed that Minister Herath attempted to discredit the Alvis report without substantial evidence. When confronted with evidence that $200 million was borrowed from the World Bank on October 7, 2024, Gammanpila noted that Herath deflected, stating that the funds were not taken by his administration. Gammanpila pointed to public statements and a photo of the World Bank loan signing ceremony involving the Finance Ministry Secretary, asserting that Herath’s statements are misleading and part of a larger campaign of misinformation.
In his challenge, Gammanpila invited Herath to discuss these issues in an open public forum, emphasizing that he would debate alone and encouraged Herath to bring economic or legal experts if he felt unprepared.
Concerns Over Handling of Easter Attack Investigations
Gammanpila also raised concerns about alleged interference in the investigation into the Easter attacks. Retired DIG Palitha Siriwardena reportedly filed a complaint implicating former police official Ravi Seneviratne for negligence related to the Easter attack. Chief Inspector Induka de Silva of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was assigned to investigate these allegations but was recently transferred to police headquarters under what Gammanpila claims were politically motivated pretexts.
According to Gammanpila, Seneviratne, now the Secretary in charge of the Police, may be leveraging his position to hinder ongoing investigations related to his own alleged misconduct. He criticized this appointment, arguing that previous presidents avoided placing individuals with potential conflicts of interest in positions of authority over police matters.
This public debate challenge and allegations around the Easter investigations are likely to intensify political tensions as parties exchange accusations over accountability and transparency in the lead-up to elections.
