The government was handing over the Hambantota Port and 4000 acres of land to a Chinese company under unfavorable conditions without the consent of the Minister of Ports and the Director Board of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa said.

The government has plans to lease the land and the port for a 99 year period to China Merchant Holdings with 80 percent of the shares to the company and 20 percent to the SLPA, Weerawansa said during a press conference today. The government will receive US $ 1,080 in this transaction, he also revealed.

However, despite the claims by the government that this money will be used to pay back the loans obtained to construct the port, the SLPA has been informed that this money will be used for other purposes and the loans will be paid in the same manner in which they were paid until now, Weerawansa also said.

He pointed out that this transaction will create a competing port to Colombo under the control of China.

Incidentally, the subject minister and the SLPA director board has not consented to the agreement and therefore the government has introduced a Cabinet paper enabling the Ports Ministry Secretary to sign the document, said Weerawansa.

He also said that R. Paskaralingam was behind the plan and therefore, by default, it was a plan of the Prime Minister.