Massive protests to go ahead in Sri Lanka despite court ban

The Sri Lankan opposition said on Thursday that they would go ahead with a massive protest campaign outside the country's Bribery and Corruption Commission on Thursday despite a court ban on such a demonstration, an official said.

The protest has been organized by opposition party members against summons issued on Former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse over corruption allegations. Rajapakse is expected to appear before the Commission on Thursday morning.

However police spokesperson ASP Ruwan Gunasekare said that the Colombo Chief Magistrate had issued an order on Wednesday evening banning the protest.

Provincial Councilor and Former Minister Udaya Gammanpila told Xinhua that they would go ahead with the protest despite the court order, adding that they did not fear to be arrested.

"The police can threaten us, but we will go ahead with the protest. It is unnecessary to summon the Former Defense Secretary in such a manner," Gammanpila said.

The former president Mahinda Rajapakse, the brother of Gotabaya, will be questioned by officers of the anti graft commission on Friday over bribery allegations.

Opposition parliamentarians launched a protest in and out of the Sri Lankan parliament earlier this week against the move to summon the two Rajapakse brothers before the anti bribery commission.

The parliamentarians alleged that the government had resorted to political harassment against the former president and his brother.