WADIWEL, WASANTHA STILL WITH US: UNP

Wadiwel Suresh, who was granted a ministerial portfolio in the new government, has not returned to the government and is still with the UNP, MP Harin Fernando said yesterday.

He told Daily Mirror that he met with Mr. Suresh who informed him of not attending yesterday’s Cabinet briefing. “I met Mr. Suresh yesterday and he informed me that he had not shifted sides and is still with the UNP,” he said.

Earlier, MP Fernando sent a message to MP Sagala Ratnayake who said, while addressing a media briefing, that Mr. Suresh had not shifted sides. MP Ratnayake informed the press about MP Fernando’s message.

When asked about Minister Wasantha Senanayake, MP Ratnayake said the minister had informed that he was still with the UNP though he attended the Cabinet meeting.

On a different note, he said the transfer of IP Nishantha de Silva was unfair as he had already completed investigations into several important cases including the killing of Janaka Perera and the attempted assassination of former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

“These court cases have been completed and the accused convicted. IP de Silva was also investigating the killing of Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge and the abductions of Keith Noyar, Prageeth Eknaligoda and Upali Tennekoon,” he said.