August 05, Colombo (LNW): Minister of Transport, Highways, and Mass Media Dr. Bandula Gunawardena clarified his stance on the Central Bank bond scam, stating he had ‘never accused’ President Ranil Wickremesinghe of involvement.
Speaking at Arukwatta in Padukka, Gunawardena emphasised that he should not be held responsible for the malpractice of individuals appointed by him.
The Minister further stated that their support lies with the national policy introduced by Wickremesinghe, rather than Wickremesinghe himself.
“I shall not be held accountable for something bad committed by a person appointed by me. The scenario is as similar as that,” Gunawardena said. “The Presidential Candidate, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, is the only person who has developed a programme to develop the country. He’s the only one who executes such a programme by law.”
The Minister went on: “I never said on any occasion that the the Central Bank Bond Scam was committed by Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe. That happened due to the individuals he had appointed.”
These remarks stand in stark contrast to his 2015 and 2018 comments as an Opposition MP, where he accused Wickremesinghe, who was serving as the Prime Minister then, and the United National Party (UNP) of orchestrating the ‘Great Bond Scam committed in broad daylight,’ a term coined by Gunawardena himself for his subsequent election campaign, and demonstrated Wickremesinghe’s attempts to cover it up.
