The National Executive Council has unanimously decided to recommend the arrest of former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to question him over the Avant Garde floating armory incident, local media reports said.

 

Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Rajitha Senaratne told a local newspaper that a decision will be taken once President Maithripala Sirisena returns from Britain.

 

Senaratne added that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe pressed for extensive investigation on the Avant Garde incident.

 

Meanwhile, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake pointed out that Gotabaya Rajapaksa had attempted to bribe officials to hide facts pertaining to the Avant Garde incident, reports said.

 

On March 6, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya leader Udaya Gammanpila stated that there was a conspiracy to arrest Gotabaya Rajapaksa and former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.