Officials of the presidential commission investigating serious cases of fraud recorded a statement from former president Mahinda Rajapaksa at his Mirihana residence yesterday.

He was questioned over Rs 115 million to be paid to ITN for propaganda advertisements during the Presidential Election. Meanwhile, he was also queried on the advertisements of then opposition candidate worth Rs 89.9 million. The ITN repaid the money without televising these advertisements.

However, the ex-President told media that the party was responsible for the propaganda matters. He was not an individual candidate but the candidate of the party, he said.

Another media report said that he had put the responsibility on the party secretary on the matter. Susil Premajayantha was the then UPFA Secretary General.