President reveals why he removed Mohan Peiris

17 February 2017 06:07 am Views - 16270

President Maithripala Sirisena revealed, yesterday, that the first action he took using his executive powers was to remove former chief justice Mohan Peiris, when he came and begged him not to remove him from his post and expressed his willingness to do anything he wanted.

The president disclosed how Mohan Peiris visited him at his residence after he assumed duties on January 9, 2015 and promised to take action in his favour and implored him not to remove him from his post of CJ.

The president revealed this while addressing a public meeting in Warakapola.

“Chief Justice Mohan Peiris came to meet me at 10.00 pm on the day after I assumed duties as president and told me not to remove him from his post. He said he would deliver his judgments according to my wishes. I told him there was no intention of removing him from his post and told him to leave my residence,” the president said.

But he returned the next day and begged me not to remove him from his post, he said.

Then I realised how these people had been in the habit of giving judgments to suit the previous regime. Therefore, I decided to remove him from his post at once, using my executive powers for the first time, he said. (Pushpakumara Mallawaarachchi)