Nimal Siripala resigns as Minister of Ports, Shipping, and aviation

COLOMBO (News 1st);  Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation Nimal Siripala De Silva has sent his letter of resignation to the President following an allegation made by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in Parliament yesterday citing a social media report that a Cabinet Minister had solicited a bribe from Japan's Taisei Corporation.

The Minister said that though he is NOT the cabinet minister in question, the project by the Taisei Corporation comes under his purview, and therefore the public may assume that he is the alleged Minister in question who solicited a bribe.

He called on the President to conduct an independent investigation into the allegation, in order to protect the good name of the government and his innocence.

Nimal Siripala said he was resigning to pave the way for an independent and impartial investigation.