Mahendra Rajapakse equals to King Choranaga, says Ranil

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe addressing the third 'Jana Rala' rally held in Anuradhapura yesterday said that Percy Mahinda Rajapakse, like the ancient King Choranaga who robbed 11 temples to utilize wealth for his comfort, is currently engaged in robbing Central Bank of Sri Lanka and other state banks for the comfort of the Rajapakse Brothers Company.

Addressing the over 30,000 participants of the rally, Mr. Wickramasinghe accused that President Rajapakse robbed Central Bank first and then the People�s Bank, Bank of Ceylon and the State Mortgage Bank to extort money to nourish the Brothers Company.

Further, the Mig 27 deal reveals that the President has commenced to extort money from the defense budget as well, said the Opposition Leader.

Mr. Wickramasinghe said that a similar time was in the history in King Choranaga's time. In that period the King enjoyed luxurious life while the subjects starved as same as the Rajapakse Brothers Company does today.

Police to arrest the current owner of the luxury Benz of JHU monk MP

Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is to arrest Hemantha Nishantha, who became famous as the current owner of the luxury Benz imported under the duty free license of Jathika Hela Urumaya leader and MP Rev. Ellawala Medhananda Thero. CID alleges that Hemantha Nishantha is connected into a murder.

A CID spokesperson said to 'LeN' that few suspects arrested for the killing of Hemantha Nishantha's wife have confessed that Nishantha is also connected to the murder.

He further said that the corpse of the wife of Hemantha Nishantha would be exhumed soon for further investigation.

SL Government hasn't filed any complain against Sir John Holmes

Mendaka Abeysekera from New York-) Sri Lankan government hasn't filed any formally complain against United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under Secretary General of Humanitarian Affairs Sir John Holmes.

Mich�le Montas, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General disclosed this at a daily press conference yesterday.

During this daily press conference in New York, one journalist raised the comment by Minister and the Chief Whip of the Sri Lankan government Jeyaraj Fernandopulle accusing, Sir John Holmes who visited Sri Lanka recently, as a terrorist.

But, Mich�le Montas declined to comment on that."we do not comment on this type of statement" he stated.

Rs. 110 million bag of money to MPs crossover to opposition

Minister Rajitha Senarathna says that a conspiracy is underway to topple the government by giving money to the MPs. He says that a businessperson connected to the LTTE has pledged to offer Rs. 110 million per MP to join a future government set up by Ranil - Mangala alliance.

The Minister revealed this at a press briefing held in the Information Department at Narahenpita this morning.

Mr. Senarathna said that the UNP Democratic Group leader Karu Jayasuriya made a special statement in this regard in the parliament yesterday. Gnanakoon said to the two MPs that Ranil - Mangala alliance would topple the government soon and former President Chandrika would join them later, the Minister said. Gnanakoon had told that twenty MPs are needed to topple the government.

Gnanakoon has promised to grant Rs. 110 million each to the two MPs for expenses in a future election.

Mr. Senarathna said that Gnanakoon had talked over the phone from a foreign country to two MPs of UNP Democratic Group. He said that he was unaware of other government MP he had talked.

Gnanakoon's brother who is linked to the LTTE owns a shipping business in Los Angeles, US, and Prabakaran's brother also works in this company, says Minister Rajitha Senarathna.

Mr. Senarathna said that Gnanakoon assured former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar that he would not be targeted by the LTTE and finally he became victim of a sniper of the Tigers, as he did not care his security. He also reminded that Sripathi Suriyaarachchi accused in a press conference in 2005 that Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe met Gnanakoon in Singapore few days prior to 1999 Presidential. Several days later LTTE exploded a bomb targeting Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumarathunga.

Before 1994 Presidential Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumarathunga met Charles Gnanakoon and leading LTTEer Lawrance in Singapore and later UNP Presidential candidate Gamini Disanayaka was killed by the LTTE few days prior to the Presidential.

Mr. Rajitha Senarathna says that Charles Gnanakoon is attempting to topple the government that has liberated the Eastern Province from the LTTE hold and he needs to bring a pro LTTE government into power. Mr. Senarathna enquired what the reason behind the fit of fury of the UNP MPs who disturbed Minister Karu Jayasuriya who was making a special statement in this regard in the parliament.

An elected government can be defeated in the parliament in a democratic way but conspiracies to form governments according to the needs of the LTTE cannot be allowed says the Minister.

Mr. Senarathna said that all evidence would be revealed pertaining to the attempts to buy the MPs soon, said Minister Rajitha Senarathna