CIA Director’s visit: Udaya invokes RTI Act to get info

Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader Udaya Gammanpila in terms of the Right to Information (RTI) Act has asked the Immigration and Emigration Department whether the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Joseph Burns arrived in Sri Lanka through the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

The former Power and Energy Minister’s Office told The Island that the request had been made yesterday (16).Burns reportedly visited Colombo on the night of 14 Feb.

Gammanpila has asked for (1) the names of all members of the US delegation (2) whether CIA Director was among them (3) whether their passports were checked (4) whether Immigration and Emigration officers stamped those passports (5) whether their luggage was checked (6) whether the US delegation entered the country through normal channel, VIP channel or VVIP channel? (7) whether the Immigration and Emigration received instructions from any person not to check their passports and (8) if so, who issued such instructions?

Gammanpila said that he intended to pursue this matter as external interventions were on the rise amidst the current economic crisis. (SF)