Minister calls Prabhakaran 'as witness'
A senior cabinet minister in the Sri Lankan government called upon Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran to reveal whether the president provided them with funds worth billions.
Chief government whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle said in Colombo on Wednesday that the government will initiate investigations "if the LTTE claims that Mahinda Rajapaksa provided 15 billion Rupees as alleged by Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi and Tiran Alles".
Presidential 2005
Former Foreign Minister, Mangala Samaraweera, and MP Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi have called upon the speaker in March to appoint a parliamentary select committee to probe alleged secret deals between the Rajapaksa administration and the LTTE.
Government parliamentarian Sooriyaarachchi and businessman Alles along with the former foreign minister allege that Mahinda Rajapaksa provided the LTTE with funds to force Tamils under their control to boycott the presidential elections held in November 2005.
Rajapaksa who was prime minister at that time won the presidential elections with a thin majority over main rival, United National Party leader, Ranil Wickramasinghe.
Consequently, Alles was appointed head of the civil aviation authority under the Rajapaksa administration.
Counter allegation
Meanwhile, Sooriyaarachchi told the BBC Sinhala service that the home of Tiran Alles was raided on Wednesday and documents and video tapes that carried evidence on alleged deals with the LTTE was removed along with one million rupees.
Alles was released on bail by the Colombo Magistrate courts on Wednesday after being held in custody on allegations of providing funds to Tamil Tigers.
Evidence 'lost'
Sooriyaarachchi said that Alles has informed the police investigators, "all evidence on the Mahinda Rajapaksa deal with the LTTE conducted by Basil Rajapaksa and senior government officials will be handed over".
The material taken away from the Alles residence had "incriminating evidence on the Mahinda-LTTE deal" added Sooriyaarachchi.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2007/06/070613_tiran_bail.shtml
A senior cabinet minister in the Sri Lankan government called upon Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran to reveal whether the president provided them with funds worth billions.
Chief government whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle said in Colombo on Wednesday that the government will initiate investigations "if the LTTE claims that Mahinda Rajapaksa provided 15 billion Rupees as alleged by Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi and Tiran Alles".
Presidential 2005
Former Foreign Minister, Mangala Samaraweera, and MP Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi have called upon the speaker in March to appoint a parliamentary select committee to probe alleged secret deals between the Rajapaksa administration and the LTTE.
Government parliamentarian Sooriyaarachchi and businessman Alles along with the former foreign minister allege that Mahinda Rajapaksa provided the LTTE with funds to force Tamils under their control to boycott the presidential elections held in November 2005.
Rajapaksa who was prime minister at that time won the presidential elections with a thin majority over main rival, United National Party leader, Ranil Wickramasinghe.
Consequently, Alles was appointed head of the civil aviation authority under the Rajapaksa administration.
Counter allegation
Meanwhile, Sooriyaarachchi told the BBC Sinhala service that the home of Tiran Alles was raided on Wednesday and documents and video tapes that carried evidence on alleged deals with the LTTE was removed along with one million rupees.
Alles was released on bail by the Colombo Magistrate courts on Wednesday after being held in custody on allegations of providing funds to Tamil Tigers.
Evidence 'lost'
Sooriyaarachchi said that Alles has informed the police investigators, "all evidence on the Mahinda Rajapaksa deal with the LTTE conducted by Basil Rajapaksa and senior government officials will be handed over".
The material taken away from the Alles residence had "incriminating evidence on the Mahinda-LTTE deal" added Sooriyaarachchi.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2007/06/070613_tiran_bail.shtml
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