TNA leader refutes allegations of misusing Govt perks as Opposition Leader

Leader of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) R. Sampanthan refuted allegations levelled by some opposition Parliamentarians that he had requested government leaders to allow him to continue to enjoy perks granted to Opposition Leader even after he was removed from the post. 

“I did not request either the Speaker, Mr. Karu Jayasuriya, or the Prime Minister, Mr. Ranil Wickermasinghe, to permit me to continue to occupy the Opposition Leader’s Bungalow. Whatever action they took, they did according to their own will. The other facilities that
have continued were also in terms of that decision,” the vetern leader said in Parliament early this week. 

Mr Sampanthan said that he was given the bungalow for the Leader of the Opposition only in September 2017, two years after he became the Leader of the Opposition, and he was able to move into the Opposition Leader’s Bungalow only in September 2017, two years later.

“At that time, for over twenty years, as a Member of Parliament, I had been occupying the Summit Flats 2D, where I climbed and descended 60- 70 steps every time I entered the flat or left the flat. Given my age, I’m well past eighty (80), this was very inconvenient and difficult but I put up with it,” Mr Sampanthan said.

The only other facility not referred to so far is vehicle number CAT 1094, a Benz motor car. The vehicle was handed over to me on 30/1/2017. “I sent the vehicle to the new Leader of the Opposition on 7/1/2019. During the two years the vehicle was in my possession, it has done only 2082 kilometers, showing how sparingly the vehicle was used,”