There are other offenders in addition to Rajapaksas: Ranil

22 November 2023 10:51 pm Views - 3120

PARLIAMENT (Daily Mirror) - Referring to the recent judgment given by the Supreme Court where former Presidents Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Mahinda Rajapaksa former Minister Basil Rajapaksa and others were held responsible for the economic crisis, President Ranil Wickremesinghe today said one has to look into whether others are also responsible for the economic debacle and have engaged in a breach of public trust.  

“One must note that even the opposition has engaged in a breach of trust. It is the duty of the main opposition to take over the government once those in the existing government resign. However, the current leader of the opposition and the main opposition had engaged in a breach of public trust by failing to form a new government in 2022. We can also probe these matters,” he said.

He also referred to an error in the court case number in the question submitted by Opposition Leader MP Sajith Premadasa. “The number of cases  which the Opposition Leader referred to a case in Trinomalee,” he said in a lighter vein.

Mr. Premadasa said error in the case number was not a major issue and accused the President of dodging his question.

SLPP MP Gevindu Kumaratunga who spoke later said the President should not have taken a question with regard to the economic crisis in a lighter vein. ‘ President should not have come up with dirty jokes,” he said.