The National Lotteries Board (NLB) and Development Lotteries Board (DLB)  that were vested with the Foreign Ministry through a special Gazette issued on Friday June 9, will go back to the Finance Ministry, informed sources told Asian Mirror.

The decision follows former Foreign Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake’s public withdrawal from office during a statement in Parliament yesterday, following corruption charges and no-confidence motion brought against him by parliamentarians of the Joint Opposition (JO).

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake was previously the Finance Minister, but his role was swapped with then Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera at the first Cabinet reshuffle by the national unity government on May 22.

At the time of the Cabinet reshuffle it was decided that although former Minister Ravi Karunanayake would be entrusted with the two national lotteries boards although he was taking on the vastly different Foreign Affairs Ministry at the time.

With former Foreign Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanyake’s public withdrawal from office the two national lotteries board will go back to the Finance Ministry.