By Saman Indrajith

Serious financial irregularities had taken place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the previous government, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera told Parliament yesterday.

Samaraweera said that among them was the acquisition of a house on rent in Los Angeles for the use of former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapksa’s son. He said there was not even a Sri Lankan Consul General in that city. During the stay of the former Defence Secretary’s son two army men had been deployed there for his security.

The ministry had paid the rent for one year and nine months for the house. More than Rs. 399 million had been paid from the ministry funds to cover the expenses and those funds had been sent abroad through Sajin Vass Gunawardena.

About Rs 2.3 billion had been spent for the former President and his family members by the ministry for his visits abroad from 2012 to 2014, the minister said.

Minister Samaraweera said the former President had paid a foreign company to draft his speeches delivered abroad.

JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti asked the government to appoint a Parliamentary Select Committee to investigate those irregularities.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the government would appoint a PSC with special powers to probe the frauds and corruption that had taken place at the Foreign Ministry under the previous regime.

Courtesy:The Island