Making a statement in Parliament yesterday (10), Hemachandra rejected claims that she had stated, in relation to a BBC Sinhala article, that the National Child Protection Authority’s (NCPA) Director of Law Enforcement had discouraged investigating officers by criticising police investigations.
She also denied reports suggesting that she had stated there was nothing wrong with the arrest of a suspect within a month of the incident, describing the claim as false.
The MP further rejected claims that she had questioned the NCPA’s Director of Law Enforcement on what basis she had stated that she had to “carry a cane and follow the police” during the course of the investigation.
Hemachandra also denied allegations that she had accused certain parties of providing material to YouTubers in an attempt to create a negative perception of the Government and the Police on social media while mainstream media remained silent on the issue.
Drawing Parliament’s attention to a statement issued by the Free Media Movement on Tuesday (10), Hemachandra confirmed that reports stating she had warned of possible action under parliamentary privileges against individuals disclosing information from discussions on the NCPA were accurate.
Explaining her position, the MP said the matter under discussion involved a child and therefore required strict confidentiality.
“This concerns a child. Therefore, it must be handled confidentially. We know that matters involving children are treated with confidentiality during police investigations and court proceedings,” she said.
Hemachandra stressed that she had never raised privilege issues in Parliament over criticism, defamation, or personal attacks directed at her.
Responding to criticism contained in the Free Media Movement statement, she said the request to maintain confidentiality had been made by the Women’s Parliamentarians’ Caucus due to the existence of three ongoing court cases involving a child.
She said the Caucus considered the protection of confidentiality to be essential when examining the matter and obtaining information from officials, and therefore instructed those present to maintain confidentiality.
The MP further noted that all parties had a responsibility to protect the privacy of matters concerning children and that public officials, in particular, carried a special obligation to do so.
Hemachandra expressed regret that the confidentiality expected during the discussions had subsequently been breached.
