Ali Zahir Moulana resigns MP post over Karuna affair

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 June 2004, 13:01 GMT]
Mr.Ali Zahir Moulana Seyed, National List Parliamentarian of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Wednesday evening handed over his resignation letter to Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of the UNP following the revelation of his connection in the escape of the LTTE renegade commander Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna and his associates from the East to Colombo, party sources said.

Four former female associates of Karuna have stated at a press conference on Monday that Mr.Ali Zahir Moulana provided safe passage to Karuna and his group including them from Batticaloa to Colombo via Dambulla and Kurunagala.

Mr.Ali Zahir Moulana is reported to have stated in his resignation letter that he provided safe passage to Karuna group to Colombo on humanitarian grounds without the knowledge of his party leadership.