Former Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe accused former Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne of accepting a bribe of Rs. 20 million from Avant Garde Company.
Rajapakshe said he had evidence to prove that Dr. Senaratne had accepted a bribe of Rs. 20 million from Avant Garde.
He made these remarks while addressing a media conference at the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) headquarters in Battaramulla yesterday.
He showed three invoices of Rs.5 million each, where Senaratne had obtained Rs.5 million each on three occasions, amounting to Rs.15 million in cheques and the balance of Rs.5 million accepted in cash at another occasion.
Former State Pharmaceuticals Corporation Chairman (SPC) Dr. Sayura Samarasundara had allegedly accepted the money by placing his signature on behalf of Dr. Rajitha Senaratne. Dr. Samarasundara was appointed as SPC Chairman by Senaratne, Rajapakshe said.
According to Rajapakshe, Rs. 5 million each has been accepted on July 8, July 14 and August 11, 2015 in cheques. He further said that Senaratne accused him of having a connection with the Avant Garde case. However Rajapakshe said the then Avant Garde chairman sent him Rs. 20 million to his house and he instructed the Avant Garde chairman to take the money back.
“I made this statement at the Cabinet meeting and therefore the then Ministers knew that,” he said.