Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa stated that there was no illegal transaction in the so called ‘MiG deal’ which had periodically featured in the media.

In a media statement, Rajapaksa stated that there was “nothing secret about the payment being made to Bellimissa Holdings Ltd. because they too were a signatory to the legal contract.”

Rajapaksa added that this “puerile attempt by certain interested parties to establish the impression among the public that there was something ‘secret’ and underhand about the purchase of these MiG aircraft is a part of a long standing attempt to sully my name and to cast doubt on my integrity.”

The statement is attached below: