by Suresh Perera

Vigorously driving home the point that he is "neither indebted nor frightened of anybody", controversial Non-Cabinet Labour Minister Mervyn Silva yesterday dismissed as "bunkum" allegations that he had stormed the Canadian High Commission in Colombo demanding a visa for his troublesome son.

"Mama katath nayath neha, bayath neha", he thundered, when The Sunday Island asked him whether he was planning to send his son overseas.

'My son has been traveling overseas since his small days, and he has visited 16 countries so far", he said, referring to Malaka, now on remand for allegedly pistol-whipping a chartered accountant at the Latino Bristo nightclub recently.

"I have money and I am a responsible Minister.

Why should I go to embassies asking for visas?", he asked. "It's all rubbish that I visited the Canadian High Commission".

"Is there a complaint anywhere that I created a stir at this High Commission? Surely, the Cinnamon Gardens police would have been informed then", de Silva reasoned.

Or the Foreign Ministry - has anybody complained to it either?, he challenged. "These stories are concocted to serve the interests of some newspaper owners and journalists".

Even the Canadian High Commission has not uttered a word in this regard, he pointed out. "All this indicates that this is a big con".

He said that he raised this issue in Parliament last week under a motion of privilege as "baseless" news reports of this nature tarnish his image and standing as a Minister.

"If I want to go abroad, I can go. I have visited many world capitals. There is no need to flee this country because the UNP is no longer in power", he stressed.

"Under the Mahinda Rajapakse administration, there is absolute freedom and there is no reason for anybody to desert this country", de Silva insisted.

A Foreign Ministry official confirmed that no complaint has been lodged by the Canadian High Commission with regard to this alleged incident.

"We are not aware of any such happening involving Minister Mervyn Silva, as reported in some newspapers", he said. "If that was so, the Canadians would have told us".

Asked whether the Foreign Ministry had heard anything "unofficially", he replied, "No, nothing at all".

A senior police official also said no complaint has been lodged by the High Commission.

However, there was speculation in some quarters that the Canadians were down-playing the incident as a Minister was involved.

As Canadian High Commission officials could not be reached for comment, a formal denial could not be obtained.