Marapana report recommends barring Ravi from attending UNP events

Wednesday, 31 January 2018 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The committee appointed by the United National Party (UNP) to analyse the report submitted by the Bond Commission recommends barring former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake from participating in any national event of the party in addition to removing him from the post of Assistant Leader, highly-placed UNP sources said.

“The Cabinet Ministers yesterday had a meeting at Temple Trees and discussed the report in detail. We have decided that we will fully implement the recommendations,” a senior UNP Minister said.

The committee led by Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana recommended that Karunanayake, who held the office of the Finance Minister during the period when the scam occurred, should step down from his post as the Assistant Leader of the party, a post he has held since September 2014.

The report has further recommended that he should refrain from participating in any national level events related to the party as well, the sources said.

According to these sources, the committee also gives a third recommendation to abolish the Deputy Leader position of the party to avoid any internal conflicts. The two posts - Assistant Leader and Deputy Leader - were created at the same time, where Sajith Premadasa was appointed Deputy Leader of the party when Karunanayake ascended to his post.