1 April 2021 06:43 pm
Former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said he obtained a firearm for his personal protection in March 2006, with the knowledge of then Defence Secretary and current President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The former parliamentarian issuing a statement said that he legally obtained a 9 mm revolver in 2006 during the height of the civil war.
He added that at the time, he was appointed as a director of Strategic Enterprises Management Agency (SEMA) by then President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
“Accordingly, I was awarded with a firearm for my personal protection in March 2006, with the sole knowledge of Gotabaya Rajapaksa,” he added.
Ranawaka made this statement denying media reports which stated that he was in possession of an illegal weapon during last ten years.