MPs donate Rs 9 mn to slain colleague’s family

A section of parliamentarians has donated Rs 9.025 mn to the family of slain SLPP Polonnaruwa District MP Ranjith Amarakeerthi Athukorala.

First time MP Amarakeerthi was killed by a violent mob on May 09 while he was on his way home from Temple Trees.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe handed over the cheque for Rs 9.025 mn to Mrs. Athukorala at the parliamentary complex.

A group of 20 members of the government group launched the fund collection. Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapaksa informed the gathering that altogether 183 government and Opposition members donated to the fund.

Deputy Speaker Rajapaksa requested President Wickremesinghe to grant the late Amarakeerthi’s family the pension given to an ex-MP. The lawmaker pointed out that Matara District MP Keerthi Abeywickrema, who was killed in a hand grenade blast in Parliament in 1987, too, was granted such a pension (SF)