MP Udaya Gammanpila says that regardless of political differences the entire country accepts that former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa is a hardworking individual who doesn’t lie or cheat and that this is why the government is afraid. 

Speaking at a press briefing in Colombo today (27), the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader claimed that they have reliably learnt that the Attorney General has already instructed the police to arrest the former Defence Secretary.

 However, he alleged, that the government is somewhat hesitating now that unlike never before a wave of opposition is rising from society, including the Mahanaya Theros, against this unjustifiable arrest.

Gammanpila claims that this is nothing but an attempt to exact “political revenge” and that the charges leveled against Gotabaya Rajapaksa are baseless. 

It is believed that the former Defence Secretary was to be arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into an allegation of financial misappropriation of state funds. 

The allegation in question was pertaining to an alleged discrepancy during the construction of the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum and Memorial in Medamulana.

Gammanpila says that the D.A. Rajapaksa Foundation had prepared an estimate of Rs 33.9 million for the construction of the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum and Memorial while director board approval was obtained for this in February 2014. 

However, the Valuation Department had given an estimate of Rs 33.7 million and the Rajapaksa Foundation had therefore paid Rs 200,000 extra for this, he said. Hence the Rajapaksa Foundation should sue the corporation for charging extra, the MP said. 

Gammanpila stated that he is prepared to debate with anyone who says that Gotabaya Rajapaksa should be arrested for misusing state funds over this incident. 

The PHU leader claimed that presently the government’s “biggest political threat” is Gotabaya Rajapaksa. 

He stated that Gotabaya’s popularity is only second to his brother, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and that the meetings being held across the country by the ‘Eliya (Light)’ organization against the Constitution are some of the reasons why the government wants to put him in jail and silence him.

He stated that Gotabaya Rajapaksa is the “heart of the nation” and that they are prepared to do anything in order to save him.