President calls for PM’s support to penalise wrongdoers

Tuesday, 23 January 2018 01:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday called on the support of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to penalise those involved in fraud and corruption.

Addressing a United People’s Freedom Alliance rally in Kandy, Sirisena said he would urge the Prime Minister to support and strengthen him instead of weakening him in his efforts to take action against the thieves and thugs of the country.

“Crooks and thieves must be punished. They must be imprisoned and I make a request of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in this regard. Do not weaken me. Give me the strength needed to take the necessary legal action against the corrupt,” he said.

He then said that some Opposition parties were condemning the Bond Commission when in fact the commission had revealed that the bond scam originated in 2008.

“G.L. Peiris and his lackeys are continuously criticising the appointment of the Presidential Commission to investigate the bond scam. They must realise that this fraud was taking place from 2008 and not constrained to 2015/2016. The Attorney General has said that this must be investigated and the Government intends to do just that. I’m prepared to face any threat or risk in my efforts to fight corruption. I left the former nepotistic Government to fight corruption,” the President said.