GOVT. GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO START ON-LINE LOTTERY: UNP

It is only to fund Mahapola bursaries-Johnston

United National Party MP Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday charged the government had given the green light to start an online lottery to a company which had been formed by a local investor who had teamed up with a foreign company which has a licence for an on-line casino. Dr. de Silva who came out with more allegations

said the local partner of this company was a politician from Malaysia.

Also the UNP MP told the Daily Mirror his party would take this issue up in Parliament this week and would challenge the government to reveal the names of the persons who own this company. He said his party would also raise questions from time to time during the parliamentary sessions in the com-

Minister said the purpose of launching this lottery was to collect funds to implement the government’s plan to increase the number of Mahapola scholarship recipients Dr. de Silva who came out with more allegations said the local partner of this company was a politician from Malaysia

ing week.

Referring to a statement issued by the Minister of Co-operatives and Internal Trade, Johnston Fernando who said a foreign investor for this venture was chosen by following a tender procedure, Dr. de Silva said he would also challenge the Minister to reveal the names of those who bid for it by sending in tenders.

However, Minister Fernando in his statement said the purpose of launching this lottery was to collect funds to implement the government’s plan to increase the number of Mahapola scholarship recipients. He recalled that the number of recipients have already been increased by 300 every year from 2009 to 2011. The Minister said the numbers of recipients were increased by 1000 since 2011, while the total number of recipients was increased up to 45,000 in 2013. He said the total number would be increased to 47,000 in the coming year.