Maithri denies lavish spending for personal staff

• Requests media institutions to correct their reports

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana

Former President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday denied reports which said he had used 53 percent of the funds allocated for the President’s expenditure head for his personal staff but spent for large scale national level projects.

“A number of print and electronic media have started attacking me quoting the head of Centre for Policy Alternatives Lionel Guruge who have sought details on the expenditure which myself and my predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa had spent for our personal staff under the Right to Information Act. However whoever provided information to him has given wrong details,” MP Sirisena said. 

“I have spent the funds allocated for me for major national level projects. This included the Grama Shakthi project, the kidney disease prevention programme and the drug prevention programme. I signed documents to sentence some persons who were found guilty on drug related offences to death. The drug issue would not have become serious today if I was allowed to sentence these persons to death during  that time. Also I carried out the Smart Sri Lanka programme under which 1000 laptop were provided to Divisional Secretaries,” he added. 

“I only request you to ask this media institutions to correct their reports,” he also said.