Fund to be set up to protect ‘Sil Cloth’ prisoners - Abhayatissa Thero

Ven. Medagoda Abhayatissa Thero stated that a fund would be set up to protect the ‘Sil Cloth’ prisoners.

The Thero stated this upon attending a press briefing yesterday (11).

Former Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and former Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) Anusha Palpita were found guilty by the Colombo High Court in the ‘Sil Cloth’ case.  

Palpita and Weeratunga were charged in a case filed alleging that the TRC had spent Rs.600 million to distribute Sil Cloth to the people as part of the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s election campaign in 2015.  

Weeratunga had served as the Chairman of the TRC during this period. 

The Thero accordingly said that an island-wide programme would be launched from 15 till 18 to collect money for this purpose.

Meanwhile, Minister Sajith Premadasa said that certain individuals were attempting to portray the ruling of the Sil Cloth case as a disgrace to Buddhism.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had reportedly visited Weeratunga and Palpita at the Welikada Prison yesterday (11).