Udayanga rejects allegations over Thailand, Uganda visit

Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga has rejected the allegations raised against him over his recent visit to Thailand and Uganda where he met former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Weeratunga said in a statement today that several ministers and the media who worked for the current regime have started to attack him?again by making false allegations.

He said that he has every right to meet Rajapaksa in any country but will not visit Sri Lanka because he has no intention of becoming a?victim of the “vicious vindictive campaign” launched against those close to Rajapaksa.

“Prior to my appointment as the Ambassador of Sri Lankato Russia during the last Government, I was living in Ukraine but not in Sri Lanka. After I resigned from the Ambassador position, I returned back to Ukraine. The ?Yahapalana? Government launched a false propaganda campaign against me stating that I supplied arms to Ukraine terrorists.? This is a completely false accusation. How can a person who supplied arms to anti-Ukrainian rebels freely live in the capital city of Ukraine??Once, the current regime found that this was a fabricated lie and was not accepted by the public they launched a new set of false stories against me,” he said.

Weeratunga also rejected claims that he was involved in the death of Noel Ranaweera, who worked as a messenger at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Russia.

“They falsely accused me that I was responsible for the death of Mr. Ranaweera. However, the Russian driver who was responsible for Noel?s death was prosecuted and was sentenced by the Russian courts. With the sentencing of the Russian driver who caused the death of Noel, the false murder accusation which the current regime fabricated became null and void,” he added.

Weeratunga says he is currently living in Ukraine and has?started to study for a PhD at a Defense university in Ukraine.

He also reiterated that he is?organizing protests in Ukraine with the support of Sri Lankans living abroad against the Government in Sri Lanka. (Colombo Gazette)