Defence Secretary Retired Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyyakontha yesterday strongly denied allegations made in Parliament by MP Ramanathan Archuna, who claimed that a stock of weapons, belonging to slain LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, had recently entered Sri Lanka in containers released by Customs.
AVM Thuyyakontha dismissed the claims as “completely baseless and false,” stressing that no evidence supports the accusation. He also cautioned against politicising national security, warning that such irresponsible statements could undermine public confidence and stability.
MP Archuna, addressing Parliament on Thursday, alleged that some of the goods, in the now-controversial batch of 323 containers, were weapons once owned by Prabhakaran and stored in Thailand. He further claimed these items were brought into the country with the help of LTTE figure Kumaran Pathmanathan and were discussed during President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent visit to Germany.
Responding in Parliament, NPP MP Devananda Suraweera dismissed Archuna’s comments, saying, “He may be a doctor, but it looks like he has gone insane.”Leader of the House, Minister Bimal Ratnayake said that the CID is probing the irregular release of the containers and urged restraint until the investigation concludes.