18 December 2024 09:18 am Views - 18
He said Rs. 710 million had been spent for security of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa including Rs. 328 by the tri-forces, Rs. 327 million by police and Rs. 55 million by Presidential Secretariat this year so far until December 15.
The Minister said Rs. 207 million had been spent for former president Maithripala Sirisena, Rs. 307 for Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Rs. 82 million for Ranil Wickremesinghe for three months, Rs. 110 million for Chandrika Bandaranaike and Rs. 32 million for Hema Premadasa. He said following the new threat assessment, 60 police officers, one police vehicle and three vehicles of the Presidential Secretariat will be assigned for Mahinda Rajapaksa, Maithripala Sirisena, Ranil Wickremesinghe, Chandrika Bandaranaike while 22 police officers and 10 police officers for Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Hema Premadasa respectively will be assigned.
The Minister said the government is not reducing the security detail but standardising the security by removing the excessive security provided to former presidents.
He said the purpose of the government is to provide security for all the people, not only for former presidents.