President Mahinda Rajapaksa has refused to allow Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the UK Chris Nonis to resign, after he was assaulted by UPFA MP Sajin Vaas Gunawardena.
Nonis was at a dinner with the president and several other members of the Sri Lankan delegation, when an intoxicated Gunawardena abused him and delivered a “thundering slap”, causing him to fall to the ground where Nonis was kicked several times by the MP, reported Colombo Telegraph.
The high commissioner is said to have handed in his resignation but Rajapaksa refused to accept it, saying strong action will be taken against Gunawardena.
But External Affairs Ministry sources told the Colombo Telegraph that no action will be taken.
“He will not take any action against Sajin Vass because he does all his dirty work,” the source in Colombo said.
Cabinet Spokesman and Minister of Mass Media and Information Keheliya Rambukwella told a press briefing on Tuesday that Nonis had not handed in his resignation, contrary to his earlier confirmation that a resignation letter was in fact received by the government.
Rambukwella refused to name Gunawardena, but said an investigation would be conducted into the incident.
According to Colombo Telegraph, Rajapaksa ordered both state and private media on the island not to report this issue.
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