Udayanga Weeratunga denies allegations

Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia on Sunday (21) denied allegations leveled against him over supplying weapons to Ukrainian rebels and the death of Noel Ranaweera who was an employee of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Russia. 

In a statement, Weeratunga added, “Various allegations made against me by ministers of the Yahapalana government have gained wide publicity in the media. I have no intention of coming back to Sri Lanka at this time because members of the government I served are being subjected to harassment and victimisation by the present government. However I wish to respond to the allegations that have been made against me.

The story that I had supplied arms to separatist rebels in Ukraine and that president Petro Poroshenko’s government had complained to the Sri Lankan foreign ministry about me is a complete lie. I am in possession of a certificate issued by the Internal Affairs Ministry of Ukraine dated 1 April 2015 bearing number 668588 to the effect that I am not being investigated for any crime within Ukraine. The Spokesman of the Ukrainian foreign ministry Yevgeny Perebenis told the Russian language unit of the BBC back in March this year that the Ukrainian government rejects this story about my supplying arms to the Ukrainian rebels. Furthermore, the Ukrainian Ambassador in India who is also accredited to Sri Lanka has informed foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera and foreign secretary Chitranganie Wagiswara that this allegation against me is false. I live at present in Kiev the capital of Ukraine and if I had been supplying arms to rebels fighting the Ukrainian government I would not be able to live there.

The allegation that I was responsible for the death of Noel Ranaweera an employee of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Russia is another fabrication. The latter died as a result of being run over by a lorry driven by a Russian citizen named S.V. Samsonov in the premises of the Don Plaza hotel in the city of Rostov on 11 June 2014. The incident has been recorded on CCTV cameras and there is a criminal investigation and court proceedings against the driver of the vehicle. The head of the Second Asia Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign affairs S. Kabulov has confirmed these details in a letter to S. Pathirana the Acting Sri Lankan Ambassador in Russia on 4 June 2015 and added that there is no investigation in Russia against Udayanga Weeratunga in relation to this matter. The documents issued by the Ukrainian and Russian authorities in relation to these matters will be E-mailed to all media organizations separately.”