Ranil Under Pressure To Sack Ravi K
author: COLOMBO TELEGRAPHJanuary 4, 2018
A group of senior advisors as well as a group MPs belonging to the United National Party (UNP) have launched a campaign against Ravi Karunanayake and are planning to request party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to sack Karunanayake from the post of Deputy Leader of the UNP and his position as head of the Rural Infrastructure Special Programme, Colombo Telegraph learns.
The call is for his removal for the offense of perjury, for Karunanayake has lied to both the CoI and to the Prime Minister. Conviction for other wrongdoings will have to wait on legal proceedings.
These moves appear to have been precipitated by President Maithripala Sirisena’s announcement last evening (January 3) regarding contents of the report submitted by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Central Bank bond issue scandal (CoI).
The Commission report refers to the allegation against former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake regarding the payment of rent for the penthouse apartment and stated that Karunanayake was responsible for that and recommended that the government should to take necessary action against Ravi Karunanayake under the section of bribery and corruption and further legal action under the penal codes for giving false evidence at the Commission.
Wickremesinghe earlier told the CoI that he believed that Karunanayake was telling the truth when the allegation was first made by MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage.
