President Anura Kumara Dissanayake appointed Air Vice Marshal (Retired) Sampath Thuyacontha as the new Secretary of the Defense Ministry.
The position was held by retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne, who was appointed by Gotabaya Rajapaksa and succeeded even after President Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed as President. Although he was also an officer who played a major role in the last war, a serious allegation has been made regarding the behavior of the defense secretary.
The retired vice marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, who took over as the new defense secretary today (23), is also a war hero.
Sampath Thuyacontha, the chief pilot of the MI 24 attack helicopter, which provided firepower from the air while bringing the body of Lt. Col. Lalith Jayasinghe who died due to LTTE terrorist attack during the war.
