UNP Denies MCC Committee Report Allegations

Colombo (News 1st);  The United National Party has refuted the allegations leveled against the former Yahapalanya government by the committee reporting on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement.

The UNP statement said, according to media reports, Professor Lalithasiri Gunaruwan’s report alleges US $10 million was provided by MCC to the then government following the signing of two agreements with the MCC in 2017 and 2018 adding that Gunaruwan goes on to state there is no record of these finances at the Finance Ministry.

The statement adds the Embassy of the United States of America to Sri Lanka and the Maldives has categorically denied the MCC released any funds to the Sri Lankan government.

It adds, this official denial by the US government has called into question the credibility of the report and suggests the President and the government is using official resources to slander the United National Party during an election period.

The UNP said the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna used these same baseless accusations during the Presidential election, and have once again resorted to these same shameless tactics to mislead the voters.

The statement further read, during the 2015-2019 Yahapalanya government, several preparatory agreements were signed, these agreements were produced before Parliament for scrutiny and debate.

However, during the COVID-19 outbreak the Rajapaksa government has received financial and medical assistance from several international organisations and countries including the World Bank, the EU, and the United States of America, the statement said.

The United National Party said the government has failed to publicly declare the exact amount that they have received, and what these funds and supplies have been used for.

The United National Party urges the government to publicly state whether they will be signing the MCC agreement, and if they are not they must inform the public of their final decision.

According to a statement from the President's Media Division on the 25th of June, the Final Report of the Committee appointed to review the MCC agreement found the agreement itself contained many harmful elements.

The review committee said the Former Government signed the agreement in two phases in 2017 and 2018.

Prof. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan, the Chair of the Committee while handing over the report to the President said after signing the agreement in two phases, grants amounting to 7.4 Million USD and 2.6 Million USD were given to Sri Lanka.

Prof. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan said the accounts of the said money is unaccounted for, reported the President's Media Division.