There’s a politician behind every underworld leader: Gammanpila

Similar to the saying ‘there is a strong woman behind every successful man’, there is a political leader behind every underworld leader, MP Udaya Gammanpila said yesterday.

Responding to a question at the weekly Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) news briefing, MP Gammanpila said regardless of the status or the political party they belonged to, politicians must be brought to books if they back underworld figures or activities.

“No underworld can sustain without the backing and support of a politician and the protection of the police.

It is inevitable that there is a politician behind each underworld leader. Without any differences, action should be taken against politicians if they back the underworld,” he said.

He also criticised Minister Lakshman Kiriella for faulting the media over inability to bring down Makandure Madush from Dubai, UAE.

“The Minister said Madush could have been brought to Sri Lanka similar to how Sri Lanka brought Kumaran Padmanadan (KP) from Malaysia. KP is not someone who committed crimes in Malaysia. Therefore, he was sent to Sri Lanka the minute the request was made. However, Madush is someone who had committed crimes in both Sri Lanka and the UAE. Therefore, it is not that simple to bring him to Sri Lanka,” Mr. Gammanpila said.

Meanwhile, he said the government had lied about the diplomatic passport holder who was among those arrested in Dubai along with Madush.

“In response to a question raised by me in parliament regarding the diplomatic passport issue, Public Administration State Minister said that the Immigration and Emigration Controller has informed that he had not received information about a such an incident. There is no mechanism to inform the Controller about arrest of diplomatic passport holders.

It is the Sri Lankan embassy in the UAE which should find out whether there is a diplomatic passport holder in custody,” he said.