Aston Martin campaign resurfacing in different guise - Minister Rajitha Senaratne

Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said yesterday that the attempts being made to sling mud at President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his son Namal over the Aston Martin affair have resurfaced in a different form.

Referring to an alleged interview given to Sirasa TV News Minister Senaratne, disclosed during a recent television interview that Dr. Namal Senasinghe had telephoned him from England explaining he owned an Aston Martin. Dr. Senasinghe has also said that certain persons were planning to fabricate a story to the effect that the President's son owned an Aston Martin, exploiting the similarity in their names.

The Minister said he was astonished to hear about a news item on Sirasa TV wherein Dr. Senasinghe has categorically denied telephoning him (the Minister) and saying anything about an Aston Martin.

Minister Senaratne said Senasinghe phoned him regularly and met him on many occasions that he came to Sri Lanka. He had bared details of a plot to link the name of Namal Rajapaksa to the purchase of an Aston Martin as his car was to be sent to Sri Lanka to be featured in a Sumithra Peries film. He had also kept the President informed of the developments. "If he is now saying that he never phoned me it is a blatant lie. To

In that case, he has also become a partner of this conspiracy," the Minister added. He said all these show that a desperate attempt is being made to bring up the Aston Martin issue again despite one D. Fernando claiming ownership of the only car brought down to Sri Lanka so far.

"I have all details of this conspiracy. I stood up against the slanderous campaign targeting the President and his son. In this backdrop I do not know whether Dr. Senasinghe really made the statement attributed to him on Sirasa news.

If he did, at the behest of some political party or media outlet, I will disclose the truth, with proof," he said.