The date was finalised for the presentation of Budget 2019 when President Sirisena suddenly decided to remove Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appoint Mahinda Rajapaksa to the post.
Deputy Secretary to the Treasury (the Ministry of Finance), S.R. Attygalle was tasked with the responsibility of heading Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s budget for the year 2019. When the constitutional coup and the resulting political crisis took place, it is reported that the budget was already finalised.
After Mahinda Rajapaksa assumed office as Prime Minister, Artygalle’s support was extended to the new premier and as a result, he was appointed as the new Secretary to the Ministry of Finance.
The secret behind Artygalle’s sudden appointment has been revealed according to sources from the Ministry of Finance.
Although top officials of the Ministry of Finance had warned Samaraweera of Artygalle’s allegiance to Mahinda Rajapaksa, he had dismissed those claims as Artygalle had managed to gain the trust of the Finance Minister.
However, internal sources say that Attygalle had deceived Mangala Samaraweera and had convinced the Minister that he is not a pro-Rajapaksa official.
Samaraweera only realised who the real Artygalle was only after his appointment as the Secretary to the Treasury by Mahinda Rajapaksa.
It was revealed that Artygalle had given the same budget proposals that were prepared by Mangala Samaraweera to Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Reliable sources from the Treasury stated that when Mahinda Rajapaksa had first seen Samaraweera’s budget, Rajapaksa had shaken his head and stated that he was fortunate to assume office now as it would have been impossible to win the 2020 elections if Samaraweera’s budget was presented to Parliament on the 05th of November.
Rajapaksa is hoping to present a vote of account instead and had stated to Al Jazeera that it was also a reason postpone the convening of Parliament.
It is reported that Rajapaksa is trying to present Samaraweera’s budget through this vote of account.
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