Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena disbands military unit attached to his security

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has disbanded the military unit attached to his security, weeks after a soldier carried a pistol to a function attended him, the worst presidential security breach in 16 years.

Police will now be in control of the presidential security division, Police spokesman Assistant Superintendent Ruwan Gunasekera said today.

"The Army unit was attached to the presidential security division during the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa's regime. This unit is now disbanded and the personnel will be returned to their respective regiments," Brigadier Jayanath Jayaweera said.

An Army Corporal, attached to the personal security of Rajapaksa's son and parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, breached the security arrangements at an event attended by the President on April 25 as he carried a pistol to the function, prompting police to arrest the soldier and launch a probe.

The Corporal with his pistol was spotted within striking distance of Sirisena at the political gathering in the Rajapaksa home district of Hambantota. The CID started an investigation and the soldier was arrested on May 2.

This was the worst presidential security breach since the then President Chandrika Kumaratunga was seriously injured in a suicide bomb attack blamed on the LTTE in December 1999.

After the military victory over the LTTE in 2009 which ended a bloody separatist campaign of over three decades, the Army was conferred super hero status in the Sri Lankan society.

Rajapaksa rewarded the Army with plum government positions leading to accusations of militarisation of the society at large.