A certain talkative top team member hailing from Uva was berating a onetime powerful politician during the debate on the Budget 2017, when a colleague seated close to him prompted him: “Machang, say something about the ‘prince’ too. What a hard time he gave us then!”

The politico who wanted the ‘prince’ too taken to task was a top team member of the previous regime and he is now a Deputy. In fact, he was one of those who had visited the ‘prince’ when he was in remand custody. While chatting to his close associates after visiting the ‘prince’ at Welikada, the Deputy had been heard saying: “After all, it is safer to be good with both sides.”