Ulpane Sumangala Thera, during an interview on television yesterday, accused the Prime Minister of coddling his friends and manufacturing an economic crisis to mislead the people.

When questioned by the reporters, he said the Prime Minister had passed a Cabinet paper seeking approval for a building for the Agriculture Ministry, but alleged a friend of the Prime Minister was using it, not the Ministry.

“The Agriculture Ministry has got a building on rent. They pay millions for this building on rent but no one attached to the Agriculture Ministry is reportedly using it. The Agriculture Minister himself probably doesn’t know about this building,” he said.

“The answer to this is that the Prime Minister put forth a Cabinet paper and got the building passed for the Agriculture Ministry, but the building is actually being used by a friend,” he further said.

“How can the country be in an economic crisis?’ he asked, “ If this is what the Prime Minister is doing with the country’s money. Wasn’t he aware of the debt trap the economic crisis when these deals were made?”