Ranil misleading public - Jeyaraj

Nadira Gunatilleke and Manjula Fernando

COLOMBO: Since Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe failed to stop the 500m US$ loan granted by the HSBC to the Government he has started another new strategy to mislead the public and threaten the bank, Highways and Road Development Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle said.

Addressing the media at the Government Information Department Auditorium yesterday, Fernandopulle said the Opposition Leader has started to tell the bank that the Government is planning to cut down subsidies to Rs.900 million and he was going to storm the bank if it happens.

Fernandopulle said apart from the Opposition Leader, there is another banker based in Singapore who was trying his best to stop financial aid flowing into the Sri Lankan Government including bank loans.

“He owns a leading bank in Singapore and is a Malaysian citizen. He is one of the best friends of the LTTE and has gone abroad 76 times using Sri Lankan Government funds during his stay in Sri Lanka when he held a top post at the BoI receiving a monthly salary of Rs.2.5 million for working four days per month,” the Minister said.

His father was a former Ambassador. The present Opposition Leader at that time was forced to put a special Cabinet paper to get approval for his salary when the issue was raised by COPE, Fernandopulle said

The California Public Employees Retirement System sent a letter to HSBC in connection with the investment of US$ 21 million (each share worth pounds 8.75) deposited by them.

The Opposition Leader is now trying to build a connection between his letter sent to the HSBC and this letter but there is no connection between these two issues. It is only the Opposition Leader’s imagination, Fernandopulle said.

It was the Opposition Leader who planned to privatise 34 public enterprises and cut down all subsidies including pensions and Samurdhi to obtain a loan of US$ 4.1 million under his `Regaining Sri Lanka’ in 2001.

“I would like to ask what his stand is on Regaining Sri Lanka,” the Minister asked. The Minister also pointed out that the Government will not cut down any subsidy on any grounds and there is no agreement between the Government and any bank to cut down any of the subsidies to obtain bank loans.