Leader of the ‘Pivithuru Hela Urumaya’ (PHU), Parliamentarian Udaya Gammanpila says that in the face of the country’s prevalent issues, the Government’s priority must not be to solve Neville Fernando’s personal problems.
The MP stated this upon attending a media briefing today (17), where he then proceeded to urge the Government to abandon their mission to solve random people’s personal problems, and instead focus their attention on prevailing issues such as dengue, waste management, cost of living, and tax burdens, that are weighing down on the public.
The Parliamentarian also pointed out that no one – not medical students, parents of medical students, nor anti-SAITM political forces – had requested for the government’s acquisition of the Dr. Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital of Malabe.
Everyone requested the nationalization of SAITM, he said, specifying that SAITM and Dr. Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital were two separate entities, not one.
‘Dr. Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital is a private hospital; SAITM is an unauthorized medical faculty.’
Gammanpila proceeded to state that a grave crisis had fallen upon the owners of the Neville Fernando Hospital, owing to the lack of patients.
Adding on, he said the following:
‘On one hand, the hospital now has no steady stream of income to maintain the hospital. On the other hand, the SAITM medical faculty cannot function when the hospital has no patients. The primary aim of the Government was to acquire the hospital and solve the aforementioned problems faced by the businessman that is Neville Fernando.’
Addressing the arrest of former Army Media Spokesperson, Commodore D. K. P. Dassanayake, Parliamentarian Udaya Gammanpila stated that the Police Media Spokesperson had shamelessly attempted to frame Commodore Dassanayake for bribery, abductions and enforced disappearances.
Gammanpila also declared that the Police Media Spokesman’s claim that Commodore Dassanayake was reported as a criminal by the former Navy Commander, Wasantha Karannagoda, was a total lie.
He then proceeded to state that non-Profit Organizations (NGOs) were questioning whether they should stand by and watch regardless of whatever crimes war-heroes commit.
As a response to the NGO’s question, he pointed out they did not defend Lieutenant-Commander Sampath Munasinghe, even though he was an exceptional war hero, and explained that they were defending Commodore Dassanayake as he was arrested baselessly, solely for the purpose of appeasing Tamil separatists.
Gammanpila revealed that the Attorney General’s Department had compiled a 51-page report on the incident. According to the report, the charges filed against Commodore Dassanayake have no foundation, he confirmed.
The true suspect, Sampath Munasinghe, is roaming free on bail; Dassanayake is in remand custody, Udaya Gammanpila remarked.
Gammanpila then proceeded to challenge the Police Media Spokesperson to a debate, and claimed that they possessed ample information to reveal the unethical acts of the Police.
‘Police Media Spokesperson, sir, if your heart tells you that what you are saying is true, come and debate with me. I will then prove to the nation that you are unfit to wear the khaki uniform.’
