Government tried five times to arrest me but failed; says Udaya Gammanpila

01-Nov-2025

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The government has made five unsuccessful attempts to arrest me and is now trying again, said Pivithuru Hela Urumaya leader Udaya Gammanpila.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya headquarters in Colombo on October 29, he stated:

“The government, through members of a non-governmental organization, has filed complaints and gathered evidence against me via the Bribery Commission. The Commission claims that my comments to the media regarding the appointment process of its Director General tarnished his reputation and that I have committed a punishable offense under Article 125 of the Constitution."

"The officials who recorded the complaint seem more concerned about it than the complainant himself. Just as we have supporters in the Presidential Secretariat and in the offices of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, we also have people inside the Bribery Commission who inform us about ongoing activities.

Although Mr. Madhava Tennakoon was fully qualified for the post of Director General, he was overlooked due to the interference of the President, Prime Minister, and Speaker Bimal Ratnayake, and Mr. Ranga Dissanayake, who was ranked second, was appointed instead. I revealed this irregular appointment with evidence."

"I did not base my statements on rumors but on sworn affidavits presented to the Supreme Court. If the Director General of the Bribery Commission was appointed through fraud, there is no greater corruption than that. Instead of correcting this wrong, the government is trying to take revenge using the Anti-Corruption Act.

The government is now trying to arrest me before the opposition rally scheduled for November 21 in Nugegoda and detain me for two weeks. It has failed to arrest me five times before, but I am ready to go to prison this time.”

He further accused a YouTuber, who allegedly receives insider information from senior police officers and earns millions monthly, of being hired by the government to defame him. He said he would file legal action against this individual.