In a long telephone call to president malik spills the beans

In a long telephone call to president malik spills the beans

 2014-12-28

Malik Samarawickreme, former UNP Chairman, businessman and confidante of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday telephoned President Mahinda Rajapaksa who was at the President's House in Kandy at 9.35 a.m. and spilled the beans on how former President Chandrika Kumaratunga manipulated the joint opposition plan to grab UPFA ministers and members to challenge Rajapaksa at the upcoming presidential poll, well informed sources disclosed to Ceylon Today yesterday.

The President received Samarawickreme's telephone call when UNP provincial councillor Chitra Manthilaka arrived with her supporters to crossover to support the President. Those who were present with the President included former UNP General Secretary and incumbent Health Minister Tissa Attanayake and other UPFA ministers and members in the Kandy District.

Samarawickreme had assured the President that the UNP leader would not accept UPFA Deputy Minister Faizer Musthapha who plans to crossover and had also conveyed a request from Wickremesinghe asking the President not to take UNP members. He had further assured that Wickremesinghe will not accept anymore UPFA members into his fold. Samarawickreme had reportedly briefed the President on how Faizer Musthapha was approached by the joint opposition to convince him to crossover.
He had also disclosed a UPFA name list to Rajapaksa with whom Kumaratunga was in touch to attract to the joint opposition.
Sources said an annoyed President after listening to Samarawickreme had warned the latter not to play double games in politics carrying tales from one side to other and also not to worry him asking for business deals from the government.

Samarawickreme struck a deal with the Rajapaksa government earlier on the Colombo – Kandy Expressway project through which he benefitted massive monetary gains. That was exclusively reported in our sister paper Mawbima.
The former UNP Chairman had told the President that he (Samarawickreme) and Wickremesinghe were aware that Maithripala Sirisena would get defeated at the 08 January 2015 presidential poll.
Sources said Samarawickreme had disclosed more details about Kumaratunga's plans to grab more UPFA members into the joint opposition.