Norwegian Minister and Peace Facilitator Erik Solheim today rejected President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s claims that he was backing the LTTE and covertly financing the Tamil Tigers.
Erik Solheim in a Twitter message stated, “President Rajapaksa tells lies about me as election approaches. I will set the truth straight tomorrow,”
President Mahinda Rajapaksa demanded that the Norwegian government must probe the funding of the LTTE during the island’s three-decade civil war, alleging that Norway financed the ethnic Tamil militant group, addressing a political gathering in Kurunegala.
Reffering to Erik Solheim he added “This man Solheim is now planning to give evidence against us in Geneva. They gave money to the LTTE. The Norwegian government must investigate. We have evidence on how they funded the terrorists,” the President said.
The Norwegian-backed peace initiative between 2000 and 2008 was branded as a betrayal of the island by nationalist groups who opposed the LTTE.
