No Govt funds granted to LTTE - Cabinet Spokesman

Rohan Mathes

COLOMBO: Media Minister and Cabinet Spokesman Anura Priyadarshana Yapa yesterday vehemently denied allegations that funds have been provided by the Government for the procurement of arms and ammunition by the LTTE from Australia.

“We have not given a red cent. These are baseless and unfounded allegations to tarnish the good name of the Government,” Yapa told the Cabinet press briefing yesterday.

He said requests from the Opposition UNP for a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to probe this issue was solely a concern of the party leaders.

“PSCs could not be appointed to investigate into all these wild and baseless allegations. There is a Parliamentary process and a tradition in dealing with matters of this nature,” Minister Yapa stressed.

Responding to queries of journalists regarding the agitations over the recent debate in British Parliament referring to the LTTE, Minister Yapa was of the view that it was only a Motion by a member of Parliament and certain other Members too have expressed their own views.

“It has been a Parliamentary motion and not the stand of the British Government as a whole. Our Foreign Ministry has responded accordingly,” he said.

Yapa said the SLFP proposals will be submitted to the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) shortly for an open and free dialogue and they were ready to make amendments as and if necessary.