PRESIDENT ORDERS TWO SEPARATE PROBES OVER ‘CLIQUE’ INCIDENT

Concerned over the linking of his son Daham Sirisena’s name to the brawl that allegedly took place at ‘Clique’ Night Club at Union Place early Saturday morning,

President Maithripala Sirisena has instructed the Police Chief and the Director of the Presidential Security Division (PSD) to conduct two separate and thorough investigations, Cabinet Spokesman Acting Media and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Karunaratne Paranawithana said.

Responding to a journalist who raised the issue at the weekly Cabinet news briefing yesterday, Paranawithana said there was no evidence to point the finger at Daham, as suggested by some quarters, but President Sirisena was determined to go to the bottom of the incident to know what exactly had happened.

“No one has lodged a complaint against Daham and the bouncer of the nightclub, who has allegedly been beaten, had said he could not identify the persons who attacked him. Besides, the owner of the nightclub has also cleared Daham and the PSD from the incident,” he said. Minister Paranawithana said the Government would not attempt to sweep this incident under the carpet and the entire country would get a clear picture as to what exactly happened at the nightclub after the inquiries of the PSD and the Police.

No one has lodged a complaint against Daham and the bouncer of the nightclub, who has allegedly been beaten, had said he could not identify the persons who attacked him.