Lanka President dismisses corruption allegations

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena today denied any wrongdoing following an Australian media report that claimed his adviser had allegedly demanded a kickback to approve a project during his tenure as Cabinet minister.
The Sydney Morning Herald had carried a story on an Australian police investigation that Sirisena's Coordinating Secretary had demanded a kickback to approve a project when he was a minister in the Cabinet in 2011.
Presidential media unit said that the President had denied the allegation and said that he had advised the Attorney General to take necessary action on the allegation.
"I have at no time in my public life had engaged in corruption," Sirisena was quoted by the presidential media unit as saying.

The statement came as the Anti-Corruption Movement, which had backed Sirisena in the presidential election, demanded an explanation on the accusation.
The internal investigation in the Australian company under question had found no evidence of any bribe being paid, the report however had said.