Committee’s report on Diana Gamage incident in Parliament handed over to Speaker

The report of the committee appointed to look into the recent incident involving State Minister Diana Gamage and SJB MPs Sujith Sanjaya Perera and Rohana Bandara within the parliamentary premises, has been handed over to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

The relevant report was handed over to the Speaker by the chairman of the committee, Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapakse today (Nov. 14).

The committee appointed by the Speaker to probe the incident also includes MPs Chamal Rajapakse, Ramesh Pathirana, Gayantha Karunathilake, Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, Thalatha Athukorala and Seetha Arambepola.

During the parliamentary session on October 20, Gamage had accused Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Sujith Sanjaya Perera of assaulting her outside the Chamber and called for a comprehensive investigation into the matter. This had prompted the temporary adjournment of the session by Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapakse, at the request of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

After the session resumed, Chief Opposition Whip SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella said the opposition MPs had met up with Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and showed him video footage of Diana Gamage using foul language at an opposition MP and behaving in an unruly manner.

Defending his actions, MP Sujith Perera has said that he had witnessed Diana Gamage becoming embroiled in a heated argument with his fellow MP Rohana Bandara, and when he had attempted to intervene, the state minister had attacked him. The SJB parliamentarian said he only acted in self-defence. MP Perera also urged the Deputy Speaker to conduct an impartial investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, MP Rohana Bandara has accused the State Minister of following him and verbally abusing him near the elevator.

Following the conclusion of the parliamentary session, the three parliamentarians were once again involved in a heated argument, which was captured by MP Perera on his mobile phone.

In the aftermath of the aforesaid unruly events which unfolded in Parliament, the Cabinet of Ministers on Oct. 23 gave the nod to establish an independent body to oversee the conduct of lawmakers. Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe had tabled a joint proposal in this regard.