Ministers unite against Gota’s petitions!

 Friday, 22 November 2013 

SLFP seniors have decided to unite and fight the petitions being filed at the Bribery Commission by a group orchestrated by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa against ministers who raise a voice opposed to the Rajapaksas and who cannot be tamed.

On the instructions of the Defence Secretary, this group has so far filed complaints with the Bribery Commission against ministers Mervyn Silva, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Rajitha Senaratne and Reginald Cooray. Within the coming weeks, complaints are to be lodged after state intelligence gathers information against Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, Maithripala Sirisena, John Seneviratne, Jagath Pushpakumara, Piyasena Gamage, A.H.M. Fowzie, Thilanga Sumathipala, Mahinda Amaraweera, Sarath Gunaratne, Dayasritha Tissera, S.B. Nawinna, Jayaratne Herath, Salinda Dissanayake and Duminida Dissanayake, according to a very reliable source.

State intelligence has gathered information regarding the moveable and immoveable assets acquired by these government politicians in recent times. The Defence Secretary has ordered the state intelligence to investigate and report back on the three-storey house being built by public relations minister Mervyn Silva at Park Road, Colombo 05 and the luxury apartment at Kinsey Road, Borella bought for Rs. 42 million by minister of sports Mahindananda Aluthgamage.

Rajapaksas hope to keep all ministers obedient to them by way of these complaints to the Bribery Commission. After the Defence Secretary orchestrates a complaint, the president calls the minister in question and tells him, “Do not be afraid. I will take care of it.” After the Bribery Commission summoned minister Mervyn Silva, the president told him “Mervyn, you need not go tomorrow. I will get two more months for you.”

All the ministers who are to be charged before the Bribery Commission have decided to make a common front and oppose it, instead of opposing individually, SLFP sources say.