Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa lashed out at the arrests of his close associates indicating that these were politically orchestrated to sabotage his impending talks with President Maithripala Sirisena.

Releasing a statement to media, Rajapaksa said that “on an earlier occasion, when a date had been set for a meeting between me and President Maithripala Sirisena, my brother Basil was arrested and remanded. This time a member of my security contingent has been arrested after another date was set for that meeting. Today, former minister Johnston Fernando was also arrested.”

Basil Rajapaksa was arrested on April 22, when it had been already announced that there will be a meeting between Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena. The meeting, scheduled for April 25, never took place. Meanwhile, Johnston Fernando, a Rajapaksa ally, was arrested on Tuesday (5), when a Rajapaksa-Sirisena meeting was to happen on Wednesday.

The meeting will go ahead as planned, President Sirisena’s office confirmed on Tuesday.

Rajapaksa also asked the government not to involve members of armed forces in political attacks on him. He was referring to the arrest of Corporal Senaka Kumara. Rajapaksa, in his statement, gave his version of the incident.

“Corporal Senaka Kumara of the Sri Lanka Army has been arrested and remanded for allegedly bringing a firearm to the SLFP Hambantota district balamandalaya meeting held on the 25th of April 2015 which was attended by President Maithripala Sirisena.

At my request, he accompanied my son Namal to the SLFP district committee meeting. As the Pradeshiya Sabha and Provincial and Council members who were with my son were not allowed to enter through the VIP entrance, he had used the public entrance with the others. Corporal Kumara had been standing by the door of the auditorium after my son went in” Rajapaksa said.