E-Paper
Samaraweera dismisses corruption allegations against Fonseka
A top opposition lawmaker has dismissed corruption allegations against Sarath Fonseka, who is seeking to unseat President Mahinda Rajapaksa in next month's presidential elections
A top opposition lawmaker has dismissed corruption allegations against Sarath Fonseka, who is seeking to unseat President Mahinda Rajapaksa in next month's presidential elections.
Opposition MP Mangala Samaraweera, representing the SLFP (Mahajana) Wing, rejected all corruption allegations against the former top general, who submitted his deposit for the polls to the Election Commissioner’s office on Friday.
He said the 18-party United National Front (UNF) dismissed allegation that attempts were being made to buy arms despite the civil war being over in May.
Samaraweera told reporters on Thursday that it was with "the approval of Lanka logistics company and the approval of the cabinet committee in 2008 that what was remaining from what was ordered was brought down to the tenders".
Fonseka has requested in his letter for armoured personnel carriers instead of arms and ammunitions for the forces since the war had ended, Samaraweera said, adding "that is fair".
Meanwhile, another supporting Party member Anura Kumara Dissanayake of marxist JVP, said Fonseka will declare his list of assets and liabilities.
"Don’t have a doubt about that fact. We spoke about it even before the Election Commissioner made the appeal for the candidates to declare assets. During those discussions we decided to hand over a list of Fonseka’s assets and liabilities", he told reporters.
