Both the government and the opposition are defending Avant Garde says Minister Ramanayake

27 November 2015 07:11 pm

Minister Ramanayake says his piece on Avant Garde:

Deputy Minister of Social Empowerment and Social Welfare, Ranjan Ramanayake in a discussion with the  said that party democracy faded when it came to the Avant Garde issue. He alleged that the chairman of Avant Garde had bought over many people with money.

"At no point did I say ‘I saw’ or that ‘I know’ any of any [bank] account  numbers or any other information about the alleged transactions"

 

Q    Last week Minister Harin Fernando made a comment that he will take action against you if you actually had said that he was bought in an Avant Garde deal? Did you actually make such comments?

I have resolved this issue. I am someone who worked for Harin when he contested the provincial council elections. He is a very good friend of mine. The situation is that both the government and the opposition are defending Avant Garde. There were many rumours about the issue even before January this year. One was that the Rajapakse regime had sold weapons to Boko Haram, Somalian pirates and
Chechnyan guerrillas.

 

"There were many rumours about the issue even  before January this year. One was that the Rajapakse regime had sold  weapons to Boko Haram, Somalian pirates and Chechnyan guerrillas"

Q   You are making a serious allegation. Are you taking the responsibility for the statement you are making?
It is a truth the whole world knows about. The Avant Garde issue was first revealed by the late journalist Lasantha Wickrematunga. In a discussion about the Avant Garde the Prime Minister himself said, “The adjournment motion is coming up about Avant garde. In that there is no need to talk only about Avant Garde corruption, you can talk about other instances of corruptions too.”
I had a very bad impression of Avant Garde. I represent the common people and I am a common man. I do not have double doctorates nor am I a lawyer. Some ministers in the government told me to say that Avant Garde is in a lucrative business. In fact Minister Harin Fernando did not speak at the adjournment motion.
I only said that there was a rumour that some ministers were being paid [bribed] by the Avant Garde and that it is better to clear that. I also noticed that some ministers seem to be protecting that company. If there is a recording to prove I said such thing about Harin I would like to go to court.


 

"I had a very bad impression of Avant Garde. I represent the common people and I am a common man. I do not have double doctorates nor am I a lawyer"

 

Q   The statements you made were based on mere discussions and rumours?

At no point did I say ‘I saw’ or that ‘I know’ any of [bank] account numbers or any other information about the alleged transactions. I only said it is our duty to clear these doubts as many  ministers seem to protecting Avant Garde.