RANMINI GUNASEKARA Courtesy Ceylon Today

Minister of Finance and Mass Media, Mangala Samaraweera is behind the international lawsuits against former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, alleged UPFA Parliamentarian Kanchana Wijesekera today (18).

He said this, at a Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) media briefing held at the Party headquarters in Battaramulla.

He further claimed that one international civil lawsuit against Rajapaksa had been filed by a Canadian citizen named Roy Manoj Kumar, who was in exile from Sri Lanka since 2010, for allegedly assisting the publicity campaigns of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

We also have evidence to say that Kumar has maintained relationships with high ranking officials of this Government, including Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka and the former Chief Minister of the Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswaran. So it’s clear that the current Government is behind this ploy,” claimed Wijesekera.

He further alleged that the lawsuits were a deliberate attempt by the Government to sabotage Rajapaksa’s possible Presidential candidacy.

Another lawsuit has been filed in the United States by slain Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge’s daughter Ahimsa Wickrematunge.

Meanwhile, it was further said that the SLPP Youth Front will be organising a vehicle parade which will commence from Trincomalee and end in Campbell Park in Borella, to commemorate May Day.