Kurunegala district UPFA candidate and ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa said he would probe the killing of ruggerite Wassim Thajudeen if his party was elected to office at the general election.

He told a packed news conference held today to discuss a host of election-related issues and his political stance that the murder should be probed to ascertain the truth. He said this by way of a response to a question asked by a journalist.

It had been alleged that those linked to the Rajapaksa regime were behind this murder and according to reports three Presidential Security Division (PSD) personnel are said to have had a hand in it.

The Magistrate's Court has ordered the exhumation of the body for further forensic examinations. Mr. Rajapaksa said this had happened in 2012, but suddenly, the government had reopened the case during this election for political purposes.

“They were in power for the past six months. They could have done it. But, they did not. They waited till now to implicate me in this case,” he said.

Mr. Rajapaksa, flanked by other UPFA leaders including Susil Premajayantha, Wimal Weerawansa and Dinesh Gunawardane, said he made certain mistakes during his tenure, but would not allow anyone to take the law into their hands in future.

Expressing confidence that the UPFA would win 117 seats at this election, he said he intended to have a close rapport with President Maithripala Sirisena. Responding to a question about the statement that he would be denied the premiership, he said, “Let’s see about it after August 18, 2015.”

Commenting on the alienation of the minority communities from the UPFA, he said he took a political stance in support of Muslims both locally and internationally. Referring to his role in the campaign for the liberation of Palestine, he said there was an international conspiracy to create a rift between his government and the Muslims.

Mr. Rajapaksa said if elected to office he would implement his election manifesto while carrying forward the projects outlined in his Mahinda Chintana polices presented previously.(Kelum Bandara)