Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa today refuted allegations that he had a palace constructed at President's House at Fort, claiming that it was a bunker constructed during the war as a security measure.

{module lolc}

Answering questions raised by media after an event at Abhayarama Temple in Colombo, Rajapaksa said that the construction was constructed years ago during the war. Pointing out that the LTTE used to launch air strikes during the latter years of the war, Rajapaksa said that he received advice to get a bunker constructed.

He also pointed out that the Security Council met at President’s House. The bunker was constructed so that the meetings could be held even at a time of an LTTE airstrike, he claimed.

Prabhakaran also had bunkers. No one is complaining of that, Rajapaksa also said. “We hit them, they constructed bunkers; they hit us, we constructed bunkers”, he went on to say.

Rajapaksa also claimed that such bunkers are also present at Temple Trees and other places. Since they were built for security, it is not correct to reveal their locations here and there, he also pointed out.