US rejects Minister’s allegations
The United States has denied allegations raised by a Government Minister who had said that former US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Michele J. Sison had offered him a bribe.
The US Embassy in Colombo in response to a question raised by the Colombo Gazette, said that the allegations on Sison, who left Sri Lanka yesterday to take up a post at the UN, were “baseless”.
According to media reports today, Resettlement Minister Guneratne Weerakoon had told a political meeting in Aranwela on Thursday that he had recordings of the discussion where the bribe was offered to him, to which he says the Secretary to his Ministry was also privy.
The Minister had said that his experience had shown that this was how foreign ambassadors were buying Government ministers.
“They reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of our engagement with senior government officials and our policy towards Sri Lanka as well as the U.S. political and economic system,” the Embassy said in response to the allegations.
Ambassador Sison had this week met with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris and other senior government officials before leaving the country, and the US Embassy said they congratulated her on strengthening the bilateral relationship between both countries.
Sison has been appointed Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador, and Deputy Representative of the United States in the Security Council of the United Nations. (Colombo Gazette)
‘US Ambassador offered me a bribe’: Minister
- Resettlement Minister Guneratne Weerakoon claims US Envoy offered him green card and a house in America
- Says Envoy wanted military camps removed in the north
A Government Minister has claimed that he was offered a ‘bribe’ by outgoing US Ambassador Michele Sison.
Resettlement Minister Guneratne Weerakoon told a political meeting in Aranwela on Thursday that he had recordings of the discussion, to which the Secretary to his Ministry was also privy.
Resettlement Minister Guneratne Weerakoon told a political meeting in Aranwela on Thursday that he had recordings of the discussion, to which the Secretary to his Ministry was also privy.
“She came to meet me and said I was a skilled Minister. She said I had done a good job with resettlement,” the Minister said.
Minister Weerakoon said the Envoy had asked him to remove military camps in the north.
“I answered that it is not my job to do that. President Rajapaksa is the Commander-in-Chief. He will not allow the LTTE to raise its head again,” the Minister revealed.
Referring to the US Envoy as “Michele Nona,” Minister Weerakoon alleged that she was involved in pumping money to topple President Rajapaksa’s Government.
“She told me she would give me and my family a green card and ‘we will give you a house in the US, your children will get scholarships’. I replied that I was a man from the south and I didn’t want what she was offering,” he added.
The Minister said that his experience had shown that this was how foreign ambassadors were buying Government ministers.
There was no immediate reaction from the US Embassy to the Minister’s remarks and allegations.
US Ambassador Sison leaves Colombo this weekend for her new posting in New York.
She will be posted as Deputy Ambassador to the UN in New York, where President Barack Obama’s former National Security Advisor Samantha Power serves as Ambassador. (DB)
Minister Weerakoon said the Envoy had asked him to remove military camps in the north.
“I answered that it is not my job to do that. President Rajapaksa is the Commander-in-Chief. He will not allow the LTTE to raise its head again,” the Minister revealed.
Referring to the US Envoy as “Michele Nona,” Minister Weerakoon alleged that she was involved in pumping money to topple President Rajapaksa’s Government.
“She told me she would give me and my family a green card and ‘we will give you a house in the US, your children will get scholarships’. I replied that I was a man from the south and I didn’t want what she was offering,” he added.
The Minister said that his experience had shown that this was how foreign ambassadors were buying Government ministers.
There was no immediate reaction from the US Embassy to the Minister’s remarks and allegations.
US Ambassador Sison leaves Colombo this weekend for her new posting in New York.
She will be posted as Deputy Ambassador to the UN in New York, where President Barack Obama’s former National Security Advisor Samantha Power serves as Ambassador. (DB)