Firing and misfiring over bullet proof vehicles

UPFA Parliamentarians supportive of Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa this week reiterated that a move to provide Mr Rajapaksa with a bullet proof vehicle had ulterior motives.

They claimed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe made the proposal, because it would be he who would be using the vehicle after the election defeat.

But, Prime Minister’s Office sources this week dismissed the claim, insisting the request for the bullet proof vehicle came from the office of the Leader of the Opposition itself.

On April 22, a day after the Easter Sunday attacks, the Opposition Leader’s office in a letter reasoned out for the request. It said that when R. Sampanthan served as the Opposition Leader, he had been provided three vehicles and after Mr Rajapaksa was appointed to the post, two of those vehicles were provided for the use of the former Opposition Leader Sampanthan.

The letter said that Mr Rajapaksa did not have suitable vehicles for his official duties and that security officials have recommended that a bullet proof vehicle be used for his travel.

The letter added that the existing bullet proof vehicles were old and therefore a new vehicle be provided to him.

The request from the Opposition Leader’s office was sent by Prime Minister’s Secretary E.M.S.B. Ekanayake to the Finance Ministry.

But, the Finance Ministry responded saying that since the cost of such a vehicle was above the permitted level of Rs 43 million, cabinet approval was required to go ahead with the proposal.

It is not clear whether the UPFA members, who claimed that the bullet proof vehicle was a cunning move by the Prime Minister, knew about the letter.

The proposal has been currently put on hold.