by

Shamindra Ferdinando

Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe has assured former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as well as his brother, Gotabhaya, former Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, of their security.

The assurance was given when Wickremesinghe met the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees on Friday morning to arrange the smooth transfer of power.

Senior UPFA sources told The Sunday Island that Wickremesinghe has made the offer with the consent of the then president-elect Maithripala Sirisena.

Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa remained at the official residence allocated to the Secretary, Ministry of Defence, though social media claimed that he had left the country.

The UPFA appreciated the new government’s assurance as regards the security of the former President and the former Defence Secretary.

Sources said Wickremesinghe’s swift intervention facilitated swift and smooth transfer of power, thereby averted possible attempts to cause uncertainty and chaos.

The army threw a security around Colombo on January 8 to meet any evatuality.

Courtesy:Sunday Island