Former State Minister Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha said that he feels sorry for Finance Minister although he will vote against him in the no-confidence motion.

Posting a comment on Facebook a short while ago, he said that “I rather suspect Ranil [Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe] is more to blame for the Central Bank Bond Scam. Arjuna Mahendran was closer to him, and the technique of cultivating big business was his to begin with.”

He said that he saw this in 2001 when K.N. Choksy and Tilak Marapana were appointed to ministries that would have been better occupied by long standing UNP politicians, not his personal favorites.

Wijesinha claimed that Wickremesinghe knew what was going on in Defence back then since Malik Samarawickrema told Wijesinghe that it was not Marapana but someone else who was responsible for the money making then.

Rajiva Wijesinha admitted that Wickremesinghe would not seek personal fortune through any of these. However, he also benefits from these activities indirectly, Wijesinha pointed out. He said that “though certainly Ranil would not make money for himself, the party war chest - which after all prints all his posters - needs replenishing.”