Mr. Madduma Bandara told the media at his Moneragala residence that the nomination list submitted to the District Secretariat was the same that was signed and given by party headquarters Sirikotha. “This is a case of a non-entity trying to destroy the party by spreading baseless allegations, and if the CID wishes to hold an investigation we would give our full support,” he said.

It was alleged earlier that the UNP nomination list for the Moneragala district had been tampered with and the name of Janaka Tissakuttiarachchi deleted and another name entered in its place after the nomination list was approved by the party.

Madduma Bandara clears the air
Mr. Tissakuttiarachchi is a nominee of the SLFP (M) wing. Mr. Madduma Bandara rejecting the allegations said Tissakuttiarachchi who is neither a UNP member nor from Moneragala District was working with another politician from the Wellawaya area to destroy the UNP in Moneragala District.

He said he had been involved in politics for the past 29 years and during that period, he was a member of the parliament, representing the people of the Moneragala District and had been serving people with an unblemished record. He went on to say that his father also suffered due to his dedication to UNP .Thereafter, he was brought up by his paternal uncle Dharmadasa Banda and acted on his advise except when he was asked to join the SLFP which he would never do.

“SLFP (M) member Tissakuttiarachchi came to Moneragala with a ‘Cooperative Bank’ and it has come to light that there had been a fraud involving it. The Cooperative Department is already conducting an investigation on the matter,” he said.

Speaking about the election campaign he said all the UNP candidates were working as one group and there was a programme to visit all the voters at their residences. The main objective is to win at least three seats and definitely two seats shall be assured, he said.

The media meeting was attended by UNP candidates, Uva Provincial Council Member Ananda Kumarasiri, Former Deputy Minister Jayasundera Wijekone, Leader of the Opposition of Thanamalwila Pradeshiya Sabha K. Sumathipala, Siyambalanduwa Pradeshiya Sabha Member Keerthishantha Samarawickrama, Chamara Rathnayake; and UNP District Organisers Sampath Jayasuriya, Jayasinghe Bandara and the Chairman of Kataragama Pradeshiya Sabha Ashoka Wikramasinghe.