Ranjan defends phone recordings

MP Ranjan Ramanayake 

• Tells Parliament he was fighting corruption 
• Calls for Govt. to appoint Committee to investigate details revealed in recordings 
• Says he has many recordings but none of President Rajapaksa 
• Apologises to those affected, but says cannot be stopped by ethics when dealing with dishonest people  

By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent

A selection of telephone conversations, some of which have been released to the public, were recorded as proof in his lone efforts to curb corruption and to apprehend the criminals, United National Party (UNP) MP Ranjan Ramanayake told Parliament yesterday.

He expressed regret that the former Government had failed to deliver good governance despite making it a key election pledge. “I don’t mind that my life is on the line due to this matter. I am ready to go to prison if necessary. I will continue my fight against corruption. I kept recorded evidence with me because most of the time people have asked me to prove the points I make regarding corruption. They request evidence and accuse me of just levelling allegations. Here goes all the evidence that you needed,” MP Ramanayake said. 

“The Yahapalanaya Government came to fight corruption, but then it was overtaken by thieves. I also have call recordings pertaining to the Treasury bond scam. I have call recordings of Arjun Aloysius calling me to offer money to conceal the details pertaining to the scam,” he added.

Demanding the Government appoint a committee to investigate the recordings in his possession and take legal action, MP Ramanayake held that he has recordings of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, but not any of the current President.

“I have call recordings belonging to many high-ranking politicians. But, I need to be truthful, I don’t have a single call recording that belongs to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa,” he confirmed, assuring that the evidence cannot be destroyed easily and copies are safely locked away overseas.

MP Ramanayake openly apologised to all those persons whose personal lives were affected when some of the recordings appeared on social media. “I never leaked the said call recordings to social media. I don’t want any character certificates. I do not believe that we should be concerned about ethics when dealing with thieves and drug dealers who surely have no ethics or morals themselves.”