Former Army Commander Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka lashed out at former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa for saying that the former Army Commanders were aware of a shelter being built at the President’s House.

Speaking to a news website, Fonseka said that he was not aware if such a bunker was constructed at the President’s House. He said that he offered the support of the army if the construction of a bunker was required. However, the former president continuously refused the request made by him, he said.

Therefore, he had not seen such a bunker or a house, Fonseka elaborated. He also said that this controversial 'luxurious underground palace' was constructed on the sly with collaboration with former Navy Commander.

Fonseka also said that the expenditure for the underground shelter has to be released to the public.

Speaking on the underground shelter, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa recently said that the place is a 'bunker' which was built to hold meetings of the Security Council at a time of an air attack. But contradicting his brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa on October 28 described the place as a 'house', not a 'bunker'.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges at BMICH a short while ago.

He is expected to be questioned on the non-payment of money due to ITN for the political advertisements during the 2015 Presidential Election campaign.

Rajapaksa was summoned to the commission earlier in the month also. His lawyers filed a preliminary objection against the naming of High Court judges to the commission. However, his objections were overruled.

Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa contradicted his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa when he described the underground shelter at the President's House in Colombo as a house.

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Speaking to a local web-media station, Gotabaya Rajapaksa pointed out that "its not an underground bunker, but a house. It was constructed for shelter in the case of an aerial attack".

The former defence secretary also claimed that the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa did not want such a construction. It was constructed after consultation with the top brass of the security establishment and even the then commanders of the armed forces approved of it.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa also said that it was not constructed in secrecy.

The underground house was not constructed specifically for Mahinda Rajapaksa, but for the security of anyone who happened to be the President. At the time, the President's life was in danger and any harm to his life could have led to unforeseen circumstances, Gotabaya Rajapaksa also said.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa today refuted allegations that he had a palace constructed at President's House at Fort, claiming that it was a bunker constructed during the war as a security measure.

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Answering questions raised by media after an event at Abhayarama Temple in Colombo, Rajapaksa said that the construction was constructed years ago during the war. Pointing out that the LTTE used to launch air strikes during the latter years of the war, Rajapaksa said that he received advice to get a bunker constructed.

He also pointed out that the Security Council met at President’s House. The bunker was constructed so that the meetings could be held even at a time of an LTTE airstrike, he claimed.

Prabhakaran also had bunkers. No one is complaining of that, Rajapaksa also said. “We hit them, they constructed bunkers; they hit us, we constructed bunkers”, he went on to say.

Rajapaksa also claimed that such bunkers are also present at Temple Trees and other places. Since they were built for security, it is not correct to reveal their locations here and there, he also pointed out.

Former President and Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa is expected to speak at the Parliament today.

The debate on the UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka takes place for a second day today. Rajapaksa will be addressing Parliament during this debate.

This will be his first speech in parliament after the August 17 General Election.

Rajapaksa recently said that the government should reject the UNHRC resolution.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday said his government, at no time, contemplated the appointment of foreign experts as judges exercising judicial power in respect of the Sri Lankan armed forces and other Sri Lankan citizens.

Stating this during his meeting with Motoo Noguchi of the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office of Japan at his residence this morning, Rajapaksa said such a move was “politically unacceptable to our people and also, it involved conflict with basic provisions of the constitution of Sri Lanka,” a press release issued by the office of the former President.

The release quoted Noguchi as saying that the best course of action was to have judicial mechanisms manned by Sri Lanka’s own nationals.

[Only on Tuesday, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe informed Parliament that his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, had suggested the name of Mr Noguchi.]

On the invitation given by the Rajapaksa regime to him last year to serve as an advisor to the Commission on Missing Persons, the former President said the intention of his government, in response to a written request by Chairman of the Commission Justice Maxwell Paranagama, was to secure the expertise of several international experts. He emphasised that the role of the experts was to serve as resource persons in dealing with complex issues of international humanitarian law and international human rights law which arose in the course of the work of the Commission.

The Japanese jurist, who served as an International Judge of the Supreme Court Chamber in the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia during 2006-2012, gave an account of his experience in the war crimes tribunal of Cambodia. The release pointed out that Rajapaksa referred to the fundamental difference between the Sri Lankan and Cambodian contexts. The basic element of the salient features of the Sri Lankan situation was “the eradication of terrorism and the availability of the opportunity today for all citizens of Sri Lanka irrespective ethnic identity, to live in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.”

Former Minister of External Affairs Professor G.L Peiris was also present at the meeting.

(The Hindu)

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa's Media Coordinator Rohan Weliwita was summoned to the Homagama Police today on an investigation regarding the disappearance of 3000 video tapes from the Presidential Secretariat.

Weliwita was a Coordinating Secretary to the President when former President Rajapaksa was in power.

Police said that a complaint was received from the Presidential Secretariat on this alleged disappearance of video cassettes.

However, speaking to media in the morning, Weliwita said that he was not involved with the former President's Media Unit.

Furthermore, he did not visit either the Presidential Secretariat or the Temple Trees after January 9, Weliwita pointed out.

He also expressed surprise at the decision to handover the investigations to the Police. It should have been done by the Presidential Secretariat, he said. Weliwita argued that the decision to hand over the investigations to the Police may have been political.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said that he reserved the right to appeal against the rejection of his objections by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry.

Rajapaksa revealed this earlier today, speaking to media at BMICH.

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges rejected the objections raised by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and decided to continue with its mandate.

Rajapaksa's lawyer said yesterday that the President does not have legal authority to appoint High Court judges to a Presidential Commission.

The Commission therefore does not have a legal authority to summon the former President, the lawyer argued further.

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges rejected the objections raised by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and decided to continue with its mandate.

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Rajapaksa's lawyer said yesterday that the President does not have legal authority to appoint High Court judges to a Presidential Commission.

The Commission therefore does not have a legal authority to summon the former President, the lawyer argued further.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges at BMICH for the second successive day.

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He arrived at the commission yesterday and was expected to be questioned on the non-payment of money due to ITN for the political advertisements during the 2015 Presidential Election campaign. However, the sessions were postponed for today due to a preliminary objection by the former President.

Rajapaksa's lawyer said that the President does not have legal authority to appoint High Court judges to a Presidential Commission.

The Commission therefore does not have a legal authority to summon the former President, the lawyer argued further.

The Commission is expected to give its decision on the objection today.