Former General Secretary of the United National Party (UNP) Tissa Attanayake today dismissed allegations that he accepted a bribe to join the government.
  
At a press conference held today in Colombo, while expressing some parties attempting to specify his decision was motivated by money, he added “my conscience would never allow me to do such thing. Many issues prevailing within the UNP had led for my resignation. I was not looking to take advantage by joining the government in a bid to get benefits or privileges,” Attanayake added.

Attanayake pointed out that his standpoint was to promote either Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe or Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa for the next year’s Presidential election.   

“My suggestion was to unite Ranil and Sajith, so we could have rebuilt the party under their leadership, in which we came up with a significant victory at the Uva Provincial Council election as well. Now, it is the newcomers who take UNP’s crucial decisions and they have taken over the authority” said Attanayake.

In respond to a query made by a reporter, Attanayake confirmed that he elected to the Parliament in 2010 from the national list, but added he did not contest for the sake of Rauff Hakeem, Mano Ganesan, and Lakshman Kiriella who were his fellow members contested under the UNP ticket.