At least 70 United National Party (UNP) MPs have signed a no-confidence motion that is to be brought against Justice and Buddhasasana Minister Wijeydasa Rajapaksa, informed sources told Asian Mirror.

Sources said the matter would be further discussed at the UNP working committee meeting scheduled for tomorrow (17).

The UNP however, has officially stated that it would not proceed with the no-confidence motion against Justice and Buddhasasana Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa.

Reports say that UNP backbenchers want the Justice and Buddhasasana Minister to resign from his post and retract the statement made about the Hambantota Port.

They allege that the Minister had given his approval to the Hambantota Port agreement at the Cabinet meeting, but had publicly shown another face.

They also alleged that for as long as the Minister was in charge of Justice, no legal action would be taken against former Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

Meanwhile, a tense situation arose at the weekly Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (15) when Ministers questioned the pace at which investigations into the former First Family were proceeding.

Sustainable Development and Wildlife Minister Gamini Jayawickrema Perera said a special court should be set up to prosecute the former First Family.

While many Ministers shared their views on the matter, it is reported that Ministers Sagala Ratnayake, Tilak Marapana and Patali Champika Ranawaka has spearheaded the movement.

The Ministers had also questioned Minister Wijeydasa Rajapaksa on this matter but he had replied that he could not influence the judiciary.

He had also said that the cases brought against Ministers A. H. M. Fowzie and Priyankara Jayaratne were not cases of large-scale fraud and corruption.

It was agreed at the meeting that if things continued this way it would not be beneficial to the government.