Did Gammanpila say that Namal is a beggar? – asks Vijitha Herath

Minister Vijitha Herath has commented on several questions raised by journalists at the cabinet decision briefing regarding Mr. Namal Rajapaksa, who is currently remanded on charges of accepting a bribe of 100 million rupees in the Airbus deal. The Minister clarified matters regarding the comparison of bribes taken by politicians with money given to beggars, the stance of the Gen Z youth generation, and the existing legal actions.

Responding to Mr. Udaya Gammanpila's statement that giving Rs. 10 to a beggar is not a crime, Minister Vijitha Herath stated that aid given to a beggar due to poverty and bribes taken by politicians can never be equated. Questioning whether Namal Rajapaksa is a beggar according to Mr. Gammanpila's view, the Minister also pointed out that it is timely to conduct a brain examination of individuals who make statements equating such financial transactions to aid given to beggars. He further added that the public of the country would never accept such statements.

The Minister also responded to former President Ranil Wickremesinghe's statement calling this a political witch hunt and claiming that Gen Z youth view it with disgust. Mr. Vijitha Herath emphasized that the youth generation's struggle, centered around Galle Face Green, was to drive out corrupt individuals and thieves who destroyed the country, not to protect corruption. Therefore, he stated that the Gen Z generation is highly pleased with the punishment of such corrupt individuals, and they only regretted the delay in those punishments in the past. The Minister also said that the current youth generation is proud to be involved in creating a future free from fraud and corruption.

Furthermore, the Minister revealed that the current case against Mr. Namal Rajapaksa was filed during Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe's tenure. He pointed out that although the case was filed during the previous government, efforts had been made to suppress it through various political deals. Minister Vijitha Herath further confirmed that the current government has only provided the necessary legal facilities to bring such suppressed cases back for hearing.