Nimal Siripala resigns over bribery allegation

July 6, 2022 at 12:57 PM

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has resigned from his ministerial portfolio of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation.

Issuing a statement, the Minister said that Opposition leader MP Sajith Premadasa had revealed in Parliament yesterday that a Cabinet Minister had demanded a bribe from a Japanese Company.

MP Premadasa further said that the President was allegedly very upset that a Minister who is currently in the Cabinet had demanded a bribe from a company named Taisei in Japan.

Stating that MP Premadasa had not openly named him, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that the subject matter falls under the purview of his ministerial portfolio.

Thereby, as there is already speculation among the public that the bribe had been solicited by him, the Minister said he has decided to resign from his ministerial portfolio.

In a letter addressed to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Minister called for a comprehensive and impartial investigation to be conducted into the allegation, until which time he will step down from his ministerial portfolio. (NewsWire)