Mauled Marapana quits

Marapana goes amidst Avant-Garde uproar, ahead of crucial Cabinet

meeting

President informs Cabinet he has received Law and Order Ministers

resignation

Marapana says he never interfered with Avant-Garde probe; says he is

resigning to protect Govt.

Outgoing Minister insists Avant-Garde will be cleared of all charges

Says it is legal; Attorney Generals opinion is correct
As of December 2014, Govt. earned Rs. 3.8 b from the Avant-Garde
operation

President Sirisena to oversee Avant-Garde investigations

Civil society calls for explanation from Justice Minister

By Dharisha Bastians-Tuesday, 10 November 2015

In a historic twist being hailed as a great tribute to good governance
crusader late Maduluwawe SobithaThero who passed away on Sunday, Law
and Order Minister Tilak J. Marapana submitted his resignation to President
Maithripala Sirisena, shortly before his Cabinet colleagues looked set to
demand his sacking at a special ministerial meeting yesterday.
Marapanas resignation marks the first time a cabinet minister in Sri Lanka
has been forced to resign following public outrage over a perceived conflict
of interest and an alleged implication in a corruption scandal.
I have never interfered with the Avant-Garde investigation, but because
these investigations are being conducted by the Police, there is a belief
among MPs and the general public that if I remain in this position the
inquiries could be impeded, Marapana said, addressing the media from his
residence last morning.
Minister Marapana said that he had met with Prime Minister Ranil

Wickremesinghe on Sunday night to inform him of his decision. He told

reporters his resignation letter had also been dispatched to President
Sirisena yesterday. I hoped that the special Cabinet meeting could be
settled peacefully after my resignation, the former Minister explained.

Tilak Marapana at the media briefing yesterday - Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

During a special Cabinet meeting convened for 10 a.m. at the Presidential

Secretariat, President Sirisena informed the Ministers that he had received
the Law and Order Ministers resignation. The Daily FT learns that a group
of Ministers were planning to put forward a resolution calling for Marapanas
sacking. But the outgoing Law and Order Minister dismissed the reports.
Nobody was planning to sack me, he scoffed during the news conference.
Activists are hailing the resignation as a major victory for

the yahapalanaya mantra, the anti-corruption platform on which the new

administration was swept to power in January and August.
Marapanas resignation ends a five-day controversy over the private
maritime security firm Avant-Garde that shook the cohabitation
Government to its core and created a massive public outcry. At least two
other Government Ministers have also been implicated in the scandal, after
JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament that several
Government members were involved in striking deals and delaying action
on corruption cases like Avant-Garde.

The Law and Order Minister took to the floor of the House last Wednesday
to put up a staunch defence of Avant-Garde, and accused the Police
Department, which functions under his own Ministry, of trying to score a
point with the raid of the floating armoury belonging to the private security
company.
He began his speech with the disclosure that he had appeared as legal
counsel for Avant-Garde Maritime Services Ltd. and its controversial
Chairman, Nissanka Senadhipathi. During the now infamous speech,
Minister Marapana even referred to the company as my client.
During yesterdays press conference, the former Law and Order Minister
proceeded to pronounce upon his clients innocence, and predicted that the
private company would be cleared of all charges. Marapana claimed that as
of December 2014, the Government of Sri Lanka had earned a profit of Rs.
3.8 billion from the Avant-Garde operation.
Avant-Gardes operation is legal, the Attorney Generals opinion is correct,
Marapana said. When investigations are completed and this is proven, the
people will finally accept it, the former Minister said.
However, he said he was resigning as Minister to protect the
Government.Marapana said if there was a threat of an explosion within his

Government, it was his duty to resign to prevent that.

I have no regrets, no blood on my hands and I am not of unsound mind,

he charged. The Minister said he would continue to serve in Parliament as a
National List MP.
Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapaksheis also under fire for his defence of
Avant-Garde in Parliament and his declaration to the House that he had
prevented the arrest of former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa in
connection with the case.
PurawesiBalaya Co-Convenor and respected academic Dr. GaminiViyangoda
said the Justice Ministers admission was tantamount to interference in the
judicial process.
Addressing a press briefing yesterday, PurawesiBalaya, which is a powerful
civil society grouping that emerged during the presidential elections in
January, hailed Marapanas exit as a victory for good governance.
We are glad President Sirisena felt the pressure on this issue and was
forced to act. This resignation also offers some hope for good governance,
with the Government showing that it is still sensitive to social outrage and
public outcry such a resignation would be unthinkable during the
Rajapaksa regime, Dr. Viyangoda asserted.
Home Affairs Minister Abeywardane meanwhile is facing criticism from
Opposition groups for his association with Avant-Garde Chairman Nissanka
Senadhipathi and his alleged attempts to introduce the controversial
businessman to high-level Government officials, including the President.

JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, addressing a press briefing

yesterday, insisted that Marapana was not the only Government Minister
culpable in the Avant-Garde controversy. There are other ministers and

they must all be removed, the JVP Leader charged. The JVP Leader said the
Justice Minister was also implicated by his statements on the Avant-Garde
controversy.
Civil society groups and activists had mounted pressure on the new
Government for its tolerance of Marapana and demanded his immediate
resignation.
Issuing a special statement yesterday, the Center for Policy Alternatives
said Marapanas statement in Parliament last week had smacked of a
cavalier disregard for conflict of interest as a key and integral element of
good governance in Government.CPA said the Ministers remarks flies
brazenly in the face of fostering a political culture of governance since the
historic January elections and its reinforcement seven months later in
August.

At the heart of what transpired is the issue of declared conflict of interest

on the part of the Minister for Law and Order, who appeared for AvantGarde before he took over his ministerial portfolio and his use of
Parliamentary time and privilege to defend his former client and his
criticism of the Police.
In its statement CPA also called for an immediate clarification by Justice
Minister Rajapaksheon his remarks in Parliament.
CPA calls for the resignation of the Minister of Law and Order and a clear
public statement, without delay, from the Minister of Justice as to what
precisely his role was in the investigation, the think-tank headed by Dr.
Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu said in its statement.
Following the special Cabinet meeting, Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha
Senaratne said the Avant-Garde investigations would henceforth be
overseen by President Sirisena. Senaratne said President Sirisena would
summon all officials involved in the investigations for a meeting, including

armed forces personnel. The probe would be fast-tracked, he said.

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