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Colombo trashes "secret deal" charge

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: The Government on Tuesday asked a recently dismissed Minister to prove his charge that it had entered into a "secret deal" before the November 2005 presidential election.

"It is upto the former Minister Sripathi Sooriyaarachi to prove it. In his statement about the so-called deal, he has referred to several dates. Now they have all lapsed. Further, he has moved some papers in Parliament. Let it be proved," defence spokesperson and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told a news conference here.

To a question, he said there was no truth in Mr. Sooriyaaraachi's charge that the Tigers had vacated Vaharai as part of an understanding. "If that is the truth, we would welcome a similar deal in Kilinochchi and Mullaittivu." At a news conference last week, Mr. Sooriyaaraachi accused the Government of "strong and direct links" (with the LTTE) and promised to come up with documentary evidence to prove his claims. The Opposition United National Party (UNP) had urged the Government to come clean on the allegations.

Mr. Rambukwella complained that a section of the media has given an impression based on the statement made by the police that a large number of security personnel were involved in abductions across the nation. He admitted some of the arrested security and police personnel were involved in abductions. The Minister said that the 85 per cent of eastern area had been cleared and 90 per cent of the displaced people would be resettled soon.

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