In a startling revelation, former Mahaweli and Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe disclosed that it was former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who personally urged him to support Ranil Wickremesinghe. Speaking in a recent YouTube interview, Ranasinghe opened up about his battles with corruption, particularly in Sri Lanka’s cricket establishment, and the challenges he faced from top political figures.
Ranasinghe alleged that Sagala Ratnayake, the President’s Chief of Staff and a close advisor, actively protected corrupt individuals within the cricketing sphere. “While I was fighting to expose corruption, Sagala Ratnayake was working against me, shielding those responsible,” Ranasinghe claimed during the discussion.
One of the most eye-catching points in the interview was Ranasinghe’s assertion that Ranil Wickremesinghe once tried to influence him to hand over an island located in the Mahaweli River in Kandy to a personal friend. This, Ranasinghe suggested, was another example of the rampant misuse of power within political circles.
Furthermore, Ranasinghe revealed that the Rajapaksa family viewed him with fear due to his firm stance against corruption. He described their behavior as “rude” and claimed that family politics took precedence over national interests. Frustrated by the culture of corruption in parliament, Ranasinghe has opted to run as an independent candidate in the upcoming presidential election, symbolized by a cricket bat.
By positioning himself as a challenger to the political establishment, Roshan Ranasinghe seeks to chart his own path, distancing himself from the corrupt practices he claims have plagued both the Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe camps.
