Security for Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has been stepped up following the discovery of an alleged plot to assassinate him, two of his advisers said on Thursday (Oct 18).
An Indian national, named by Indian and Sri Lankan media as M Thomas from the southern state of Kerala, was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the plot on Sep 22. Former Sri Lankan defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa was also a target, a police officer said.
“The president is very serious about this,” Shiral Lakthialaka, one of the advisers, told reporters in Colombo.
“People in charge have taken measures to strengthen his security. Certainly his security has been beefed up. We need a broad investigation into this.”
The alleged plot first emerged in late September after a police informant called Namal Kumara published a telephone recording between him and a senior police officer where he said there was a plan to kill Sirisena.
It is not clear whether there are any other individuals that are alleged to be involved.
Source: Reuters
-Agencies
