Cabinet Spokesman Minister Rajitha Senaratne said there was no agreement between President Maithripala Sirisena and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to protect the latter and his family members from prosecution.

It was widely reported in media that the present President had promised Rajapaksa, when they met teach other at the Speaker's residence to negotiate transition of the SLFP leadership, that the former President or his family members would not be prosecuted.

 

Minister Senaratne however, in an interview with a weekend English newspaper said, no such agreement has been reached and all wrong-doers will be prosecuted regardless of their positions.

 

"There was no such agreement. Any person who has done corruption, involved in corruption or any other crime will be prosecuted irrespective of who and what his position is. Be it a former president or an ordinary citizen, everyone will be treated equally and the Judiciary will decide whether the person is a guilty or not," he said in an interview with 'The Nation' newspaper on Sunday.

"Before the law all are equal. Earlier the President was supreme and enjoyed immunity. But we will remove those powers and then he too will be subjected to the law as an ordinary citizen," he added.