PM will probe files found in Temple Trees
Files containing deals of former Cabinet ministers found at Temple Trees will be investigated, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa told the Sunday Times.
He was commenting on the box story in these columns last week headlined ‘New PM finds bombshell files at Temple Trees’. The report said, “Whether it came by chance or otherwise remains a billion-dollar question. However, there is little or no doubt about its authenticity.”
Premier Rajapaksa said the files contained alleged irregular transactions by ministers and were found by helpers cleaning the Temple Trees premises for occupation by him and his family. There was one file for each minister, and he was now studying them.
He declined to say whose names were in the files saying, “you will know when the names come out.”
Our report last week added: “Helpers cleaning the premises found a neatly packed set of files. Did then Premier Wickremesinghe forget to take it along? The files contain alleged wrongdoing in tenders and other procurement deals and contains names of local and foreign agents as well”. Last Tuesday, the United National Party (UNP) said in a statement:
“The attention of the Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe has been drawn to the news items of December 1 the Sunday Times and in December 2 Lankadeepa which stated the Prime Minister had files related to transactions of former cabinet ministers.
“The news item states the files were prepared by Mr Wickremesinghe. This news is baseless and false. Mr Wickeremesinghe during his term of office was not engaged in preparing files. The office staff and the office of the prime minister were entrusted with official documents that are only relevant to the Prime Ministerial post.
“All of those documents have been properly documented at Temple Trees and Prime Minister’s office.”