Responding to the allegations levelled by former President Maithripala Sirisena, a Spokesman for the Catholic Church on Friday said that the Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has distributed over Rs. 500 million of financial aid received to assist the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks.

National Catholic Mass Communications Director, Rev. Fr. Jude Krishantha charged that the former President is making up such stories in front of the media in order to cover up his own ‘political bankruptcy’.

“Mr. Maithripala Sirisena is ‘politically bankrupt’ as of today. So, he makes all these false statements in front of media to cover up his ‘political bankruptcy’”, he said.

“In fact, His Eminence the Cardinal has distributed over Rs. 500 million for these victims [of the Easter attacks]…The ‘Seth Sarana Caritas’, a welfare organization maintained under Cardinal Ranjith has spent the funds for the victims.”

“There is a teaching of Lord Jesus Christ that even your left hand should not know what your right hand is doing, so that what you are giving may be in secret. That is why the Catholic Church does not advertise the things we do on the media. That’s why we keep confidentiality in the things we give”, Rev. Fr. Jude Krishantha added. 

On Thursday (20), former President Maithripala Sirisena alleged that Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has not distributed any of the funds or financial aid received to assist the victims of the Easter Sunday terror attacks. 

Speaking to the media in Polonnaruwa, the former President also claimed that most of the court cases against him were filed under the influence of Cardinal Ranjith.

Commenting further, Sirisena said: “What happened to the funds received by the Cardinal from Catholic organisations, other countries of the world, top Sri Lankan businessmen and several other parties following the Easter attacks?… It is good if the Cardinal submits a list of individuals who received this money, and about what happened to this money. Not a single cent of those funds has been given to the victims.”

“Even though I paid money from the government when I was president, now I have been sued to pay compensation on my own. That is the situation right now”, he added.