The US State Department has decided to impose sanctions on two Sri Lankans who held high positions during the previous government and their families as part of an anti-corruption drive, US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chang told the Chief prelate of Malwatte Kandy.
The US ambassador made these remarks when the Malwatte Chief Prelate Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayaka Thero inquired about two powerful figures of a previous government, former Sri Lankan envoy to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga and Former CEO of SriLankan Air Lines Kapila Chandrasena, have been banned from entering the US.
Ms. Julie Chang visited the Malwatte Maha Viharaya yesterday (11) afternoon and met the Malwatte Mahanayake Thero and briefed him on the projects being implemented in Sri Lanka by the US.
She emphasized that the two Sri Lankans who have been sanctioned by the US government were accused of corruption and that the relevant decision was reached after an investigation that had been conducted for about a year.
The Malwatta Chief prelate said that he believed that the current government would receive more support from the US government than before, as a good and trustworthy government had come to power.
The US Ambassador said that the current President came to power with a large mandate and that the National People’s Party has great power in Parliament. She also said that the US had cooperated with every government that was in power.
She also said that the US would provide maximum support to the program being carried out by the current government led by the President to eliminate fraud and corruption.
The Malwatta thero said that the crops of the farmers had been destroyed due to the rain and that even the houses of some people had been destroyed. She asked the Ambassador if there was any way to help them.
The Ambassador said that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expects technical assistance from the US government for agriculture and will take action for that.
