Will set up fund to collect Rs. 100Mn, my only source of income is mango cultivation: Maithripala

Former President Maithripala Sirisena said today that he will set up a fund to collect money from the people who are near and dear to him to pay the Rs. 100 million compensation to the Easter Sunday suicide attack victims as ordered by the Supreme Court.

Addressing a media briefing, the former president said he was planning to collect money from the people, since he doesn't have the capacity to pay such a colossal amount as compensation.

"I hope to collect Rs. 100 million from the people because I have no financial strength to pay such an amount of money. I don't even own a motorcycle. I will form a committee to set up the fund. I need to collect money from all over the country. I may end up in jail, if I fail to honour the verdict delivered by the supreme court," he said.

When asked why he couldn't seek help from his brother, billionaire businessman Dudley Sirisena, the former President said although they are brothers, he has nothing to do with Dudley Sirisena's business.

"There are 11 of us in our family. My father had five acres of paddy fields and three acres of land. The five acres of land are shared among my sisters. I planted mangoes on the three acres of land. There is no other source of income other than mangoes for me," he said. (Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya)