Courtesy Hiru News

Former Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera yesterday acknowledged that the government has provided the necessary funds to transport IDPs from Puttalam to Mannar during the last presidential election.

This was when he spoke to the media after making a statement to the CID regarding the incident.

However, former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen had earlier stated that the money had been provided by an NGO.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has recorded statements from Former Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera for over five hours regarding the incident of providing the necessary facilities to transport IDPs by bus from Puttalam to Mannar during the last presidential election.

Meanwhile, the ‘Sinhale’ National Organization has strongly condemned the statement made by the former Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera that there are Sangha cliques in the country.

Other politicians expressed their views regarding the statement made by Mangala Samaraweera regarding the Sangha.