US Ambassador influenced Prez GR as part of its regime change plot – Wimal

National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa, MP, has alleged that US Ambassador Julie Chung constantly applied pressure on the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa not to deal with the growing protest movement that finally led to his ouster.

The former Industries Minister said so on Swarnavahini on Monday night.

President Rajapaksa vacated the President’s House on July 13.

Weerawansa said that Ambassador Chung exploited President Rajapaksa’s plans to settle down in the US after the completion of his first term. MP Weerawansa said that the President feared he wouldn’t be able to be with his son, daughter-in-law and his grandchild if he responded to the threat.

Denial of US visa compelled President Rajapaksa to take refuge in the Maldives and then Singapore where he is residing now.

Lawmaker Weerawansa said that on one hand the US influenced the President while others involved in the operation, such as the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), received USAID financial backing. Weerawansa explained the circumstances the US exploited the financial crisis, and rising public resentment towards the previous government, to carry out, what he called, its regime change operation.

MP Weerawansa told The Island that those who had been surprised by his accusations, directed at the BASL, shouldn’t forget that the Bar Association had no qualms in accepting sponsorship from the Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL), even after it perpetrated of treasury bond scams in 2015 and 2016.

BASL President Saliya Pieris, PC, recently said that in addition to the BASL, the Justice Ministry as well as the Attorney General’s Department received financial assistance over the years. Reference was made to funding received during 2015 -2019 while denying accusations the BASL engaged in any clandestine activity. This was in response to the recent Hiru interview conducted in response accusations relating to the conduct of the BASL (SF)

Members of Intake 36 of Kotelawela Defence University recently conducted a ‘home garden’; project in support of the needy in Colombo. It was meant to encourage families to utilize available land for productive activity.