SB's brother refutes allegations
 

by L. B. Wijayasiri

Central Provincial Council Chief Opposition Whip and former Council Minister Saliya Bandara Dissanayake, brother of S. B. Dissanayake, serving a prison term refuted allegations against him by S. B. Dissanayake in a letter said to have been sent to UNP Kalutara District MP Rajitha Senaratne.

After Saliya Bandara met Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse recently and pledged to support the latter at the presidential poll, Senaratne had issued a letter to the media alleging that it was issued by S. B. Dissanayake making various allegations against his brother. He had stated that his brother was expelled form the UNP six months ago.

Saliya Bandara told the media on Tuesday that it was news to him that he had been expelled from the UNP. He was still functioning as the Central Provincial Council Chief Opposition Whip and he was elected vice President of the UNP Hanguranketha Bala Mandalaya presided by Matara District MP Mahinda Wijesekara on August 7.

He asked how come he was expelled from the UNP six months before?

"S. B. Dissanayake has said I am a sick man. But to my knowledge I am in good health. It is my brother SB who is sick and has spent the whole period of prison life in hospital. The people should decide who is sick and who is not.

I challenge my brother SB to contest Hanguranketha constituency against the Prime Minister and get more votes than him, Saliya Bandara said.

At the previous general elections, S. B. Dissanayake was fourth in the Nuwara Eliya district. CWC's Velusamy Radhakrishnan was first.

"No one could stop me from supporting Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse at the forthcoming Presidential Elections. Whatever SB says through his accomplices, he will never be able to defeat Mahinda Rajapakse," Saliya Bandara said.