Was Janaka Ratnayake, the Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL), instrumental in threatening the other members of the commission?
This is the allegation being probed by the Colpetty Police under the directions of the Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police, Deshabandu Tennakoon.
It has been alleged that the Deputy Chairman of the Commission, Udeni Wickramasingha, and another member, Mohan Samaranayake, were threatened by an unruly mob within the premises of the commission building.
The two members concerned had gone for a meeting of the Commission upon receipt of a summons from the Chairman after they (the two members) agreed with the cabinet decision to increase the electricity tariff rates.
The agreement with the cabinet decision by the two members amounted to a breach of the basic agreement they reached in the commission.
When they were at the commission building, trade union activists and representatives of civil organizations were demonstrating against a price hike and had apparently threatened the commission members.
The Commission’s office is located on the fourth floor of the Merchant Tower Building, St. Michael’s Road, Kollupitiya. A member of the commission, Mohan Samaranayake, while giving a statement to the police, alleged that the chairman of the Public Utilities Commission, Janaka Ratnayake, had brought this group to the commission’s office.
The police investigating the matter have confirmed this after their initial investigations.
The police are of the view that outsiders cannot enter the premises of the Public Utility Commission without special permission.
Investigators also said that preliminary inquiries revealed that an organized group came to the commission building and intimidated the members of the commission in a bid to exert pressure on them.
The Colpetty police said that they would also obtain a statement in this regard from Udeni Wickramasinghe, the vice chairman of the commission.
It is reported that after the vice chairman’s statement, the police will report facts to the court and strictly enforce the law against the people who threatened the members of the commission.
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