‘More UPFA supporters flocking to UNF as MR’s dark era exposed’: Mangala

Monday, 10 August 2015 00:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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P.D De Silva

“More and more people who voted for the UPFA at the last presidential election are flocking around the UNF as the details of the things that took place during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s dark era are coming to light,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera at a media conference held at the UNF’s district office in Nupe.

“On 8 January the people of this country ended Mahinda Rajapaksa’s decade of corrupt rule. With this victory President Maithripala Sirisena as the Head of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the leader of the United National Party have brougt about a new political culture in the island. Every person who voted to elect President Maithripala Sirisena on 8 January will be voting for the UNF to prevent an emergence of another corrupt MR era,” Samaraweera said.

“The local as well as foreign investigations being conducted in search of the wealth plundered and stashed away by members of the Rajapaksa family in Dubai and Seychelles are progessing satisfactorily. There are more than 700 ongoing inquiries into corruption that took place during the MR era. Among those under investigation are former Secretary of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa with regard to the Rs. 62 7-million Weeraketiya project undertaken by the Land Reclamation Board, former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa’s ‘Siriliya Saviya’ , the wealth of former minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, former minister Wimal Weerawansa and his wife and former minister Dilan Perera. As there are ongoing court cases with respect to some of these matters I will not elaborate on them. Justice will prevail,” he added.

Namal, Wimal and Basil owe SLAF Rs. 16 m for helicopter rides

Former ministers Basil Rajapaksa, Wimal Weerawansa and Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa owe the Sri Lanka Air Force a sum of Rs. 16 million for hiring helicopters between 1 December 2014 and 2 January 2015, a few weeks before the presidential election, revealed Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera at a media conference held recently.

“The outstanding bills reveal that during the above mentioned period, which was during the run-up to the presidential elections, former minister Wimal Weerawansa has made the most number of journeys by helicopter using a MY 17 helicopter on 17 occasions and a Y 12 helicopter on three occasions.

“MP Namal Rajapaksa has made eighteen journeys by air using a B412 on 12 occasions and a Y 12 on six. Former Minister Basil Rajapaksa has made the least number of journeys by air using the B412, MY17 and Y12 types of helicopters on two occasions each,” he elaborated.