A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Mangala’s PR Officer Quits Amidst Drug Bust To ‘Save’ Minister From Mudslinging Campaign
Sameera Manahara, a very close associate of Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera,
who is also his Public Relations Officer announced his resignation
today from his post to save the Minister from what he termed was ‘a
well-planned conspiracy mooted by certain groups with vested interest to
sling mud at the Minister and the Yahapalanaya government.’
In
a letter addressed to Samaraweera today, August 8, 2017, Manahara who
was arrested by police for allegedly possessing drugs said, “even though
my innocence is clear and hence I was released on bail by the Mount
Lavinia Magistrate, it is obvious there is an attempt to use this
incident to tarnish your image. So, I will resign from my position as
the Public Relations Officer until I am proven innocent in courts in
this case.”
On August 5th, police arrested Manahara and several of his friends for
the possession of cocaine, methamphetamine pills and hashish while they
were travelling in a luxury jeep. One of Manahara’s friends had
confessed to the police that the drugs belonged to him, and not the
others, and subsequently, the friend who confessed was remanded, while
Manahara and the rest of his other friends were released on bail. There
were also reports in the media that the police was under immense
pressure to release Manahara following his arrest.
Meanwhile, Samaraweera’s Media Secretary Asita Rajapakse in a statement
said that various media websites were publishing baseless allegations
against the minister to tarnish his image, when it was clear that the
Minister’s Public Relations officer was not directly involved in the
drug possession.
In 2015, allegations were thrown at Samaraweera due
to his alleged ‘relationship’ with Manahara, where the finance
minister, who was then the foreign minister, had taken Manahara to New
York on an official trip to the US where he had spent time with him at
the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel in New York. “Manahara was also my
Public Relations Officer at the Ministry of Ports and Aviation between
2004 and 2007. During my seven years in the Opposition he was one of my
principal coordinators and campaign managers.” Samaraweera’s office then Told Colombo Telegraph.
Read the resignation letter below: