I will resign if Sajith is found guilty-Thalatha

21 June 2015 11:27 am

Foreign Employment Minister Thalatha Athukorala said she would resign from politics if Housing and Samurdhi Minister Sajith Premadasa is found guilty of misusing the savings of Samurdhi beneficiaries for political purposes.

Addressing a meeting in Ratnapura, she refuted allegations levelled at Mr. Premadasa and stated that those who accused the minister, of giving funds to financially stable individuals, were engaged in a futile attempt to insult him.

“Minister Premadasa is a very honest politician. I have never influenced him to do anything for my electoral division (Nivithigala). These allegations are baseless,” she said.

If Mr. Premadasa was proven guilty for misusing Samurdhi funds, Ms. Athukorala said she would definitely resign from her ministerial post as well as politics.

The All Island Samurdhi Development and Agricultural Research Production Assistants Officers’ Union recently alleged that Minister Sajith Premadasa was granting loans from Samurdhi Banks to people who were not Samurdhi recipients by changing the existing circulars. (Piyumi Fonseka)