Minister Upali Pannilage insists the arrested school principal’s wife, a local councillor, was given nominations because she had no criminal record, and says the party did not “embrace the accused” after the scandal.
Minister of Labour Upali Pannilage has clarified that the wife of the school principal arrested for drug trafficking was not personally involved in the crime and has since resigned from her position as a National People’s Power (NPP) councillor and party member. Speaking to reporters following a public event, the Minister defended the decision to nominate her in the last local government election, explaining that nominations were granted based on individual records — not family connections.
According to Pannilage, the councillor, who previously served as a nurse in the army, had no prior convictions at the time she was nominated. “The husband’s actions cannot be blamed on the party or the wife. The person who contested had no criminal background,” he stated, adding that the party had acted swiftly once the drug-related arrest came to light.
The Minister rejected claims that the NPP was protecting or supporting the accused family, saying the leadership has distanced itself from the matter and taken appropriate disciplinary action. “There may be different people in a family, but we don’t embrace those involved in criminal activity,” he said.
The comments came amid rising public scrutiny over the incident, which has drawn criticism toward the NPP’s candidate vetting process. The case has also sparked broader discussions about accountability within political parties and the personal responsibility of elected representatives.
Pannilage reiterated that the party remains committed to transparency and that isolated cases should not be used to discredit its reform agenda.
