Some European countries, INGOs eyeing NE offshore petroleum deposits - Hemakumara

by Shanika Sriyananda

The United National Party Democratic Front (UNPDF) says that with the alleged secret deal by Charles Gnanakoon to bribe their MPs to topple the government, the lives of the UNPDF MPs are in danger.

Minister of Agriculture Hemakumara Nanayakkara told the Sunday Observer that the Charles Gnanakoon issue should not be taken lightly.

"If they are prepared to spend US $ two million per Minister of our Front to topple the Government, they could easily spend the same amount of money to assassinate one or two Ministers of our group", he said adding that if he was assassinated the next MP to enter Parliament will be from the UNP list. "So, our lives are in danger", he said.

Minister Nanayakkara accused some European countries and International Non-Governmental Organisations of using the LTTE in order to own the off-shore petroleum deposits in the North and the East.

"Some INGOs and European countries have been funding the LTTE.

It's no secret. Why do these people fund the terrorists? The LTTE wants the North and the East to be separated from the rest of the country to establish the so-called Eelam. This is the best area for offshore petroleum deposits and some European countries are eyeing the petroleum deposits", he said.

According to Minister Nanayakkara, when UNPDF Leader Minister Karu Jayasuriya revealed the facts about the Gnanakoons' issue the UNP was unnerved and it clearly showed that there was a close link between the terrorists and Ranil Wickremesinghe's UNP Wing.

He said that this under-world business was operating through Prabhakaran by empowering him with weapons to get that area separated and to tap these resources.

Minister Nanayakkara said that the UNPDF had also contributed to the Eastern victory as they stood with the government at a time when there was a conspiracy by the Opposition Leader, his UNP wing and the LTTE to get some MPs out from the government.

"If we did not join the government, the government would have fallen by now. Despite these elements trying to topple the government after the JVP's move from the government, the patriotic 17, who are not for petty politics, joined President Mahinda Rajapaksa to protect the government and the people", he said.