State Minister Sujeewa quitting his portfolio?

State Minister Sujeewa quitting his portfolio?

What Minister of State Mr. Sujeewa Senasingha has said was that he is prepared to quit his position if at all the leader of the party or the Speaker asks him to quit from Yahapalanaya after taking into consideration the issue of cheques which have been given to his friends by Mendis

and Co. during the election period. He has stated that he had initially mentioned that it is he and Minister Ajith Perera who said that an inquiry should be carried out against Perpetual Treasuries Co. The State Minister said that as such the Presidential Commission was appointed and that through it, it is clear that his duties under reference were duly carried out without protecting anybody. He also said that though he had made a request to summon him and others involved if there is any question about the role of the COPE committee, the commission had never summoned him and that nowhere it is stated anywhere in the report of the commission that he had done anything wrong. The Minister of State further said that if he was aware that Perpetual Treasuries Co. is connected to Mendis & Co. he would at that moment itself inform his friends not to secure the funds given by that company for the election campaign. He also said that he had not received a cheque from anybody; but that he had of course spent cheques received by the group who has voluntarily come forward during the election period. The Minister also remarked that the Speaker has notified him that the parliament is taking some action in connection with this incident.

The Minister went on to say that his name does not appear in the cheques concerned but that while they were handed over to one of his security officers and that his friends have changed the cheques, it was so done for the sake of security. He then said that if he had wanted to do it on the sly, he would not have taken a cheque and that he would take cash in that instance. He then remarked that monies are taken on all election periods since 1948 and that if it is said that such monies have not been taken in that manner, he would quit politics. Mr. Sujeewa Senasingha remarked that if the Speaker informs him not to receive monies for election, he would never take money for that purpose. When things were such, he would not take money from a company belonging to a company which became the company that was involved in the biggest scandal in Sri Lanka, he mentioned. The Minister of State finally stated that he is prepared to reimburse the said sum of money which he had given over to his friends during the election period.