Sri Lanka's governing party ally to take legal action against Prime Minister

Ally of Sri Lanka's governing party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) plans to take legal action against Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne for slander.

The party demands Rs. 1 billion in damages if the Prime Minister failed to apologize in public for allegedly making derogatory remarks on JHU Leader Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha Thero.

Deputy Secretary of the JHU, Western Provincial Council Minister Udaya Gammanpila told a news conference that instead of criticizing Ven. Sobitha Thero, steps should be taken to expose the truth behind the involvement of PM's office in the detention of the largest haul of heroin in South Asia by the Customs Department of Sri Lanka in August last year.

Ven. Sobhitha Thero referring to the raid said earlier that if a proper investigation is carried out, the police will find that the person who had imported the haul and the person who had requested for its release from the Customs at the Prime Minister's Office.

The JHU has claimed that the Prime Minister in response has said that Ven. Sobhitha Thero was attempting to link him with a container carrying 260 kg of heroin because of personal animosity.

A coordinating secretary in a ministry under the purview of the PM was removed from office last year for requesting a tax exemption from the Customs Department on clearing the heroin packed container.

However, the Prime Minister and the coordinating secretary both denied that they were aware of the contents in the container.