Among rising graft cases, Sri Lanka PM Ranil Wickremesinghe says his govt will not tolerate corruption

Colombo: Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Sunday his government will not tolerate corruption and "remove" all those found involved in graft cases.

Wickremesinghe's comments came amid a controversy over foreign minister Ravi Karunanayake who has faced calls for resignation following his testimony at a probe on the issuance of Central Bank of Sri Lanka's bonds during 2015 and 2016.

File image of Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe . PTI

Karunanayake is unlikely to resign.

Wickremesinghe said all allegations of corruption under his government would be investigated and action will be taken depending on the outcomes.

"There is no place for robbers in our government. We will remove them," Wickremesinghe said in the hill town of Hatton.

He said all allegations of corruption under his government will be investigated and action will be taken depending on the outcomes.

He said a senior minister's quizzing for wrongdoing by the Attorney General reflected the freedom his government has brought in.

"We have filed cases against the Rajapaksa government's corruption. Cases are going on. When the Central Bank Bond issue allegations were made against my government, I appointed an internal probe and later it was referred to a parliamentary committee headed by an opposition member," Wickremesinghe said.

The current unity government formed in 2015 with the ouster of the former Mahinda Rajapaksa regime by Wickremesinghe and President Maithripala Sirisena has faced its biggest scandal in the form of the Central Bank Bond issue.

Perpetual Treasuries, a Central Bank primary dealer, has been accused of benefiting through insider information during the governorship of Arjuna Mahendran whose son-in-law Arjun Aloysius is linked to the firm.

Mahendran, Wickremesinghe's close friend, was later removed from the job by Sirisena.