In his first interaction with the national press after taking the Premiership, Rajapaksa told the editors and senior journalists gathered at ‘Temple Trees’last morning that the Ramanayake phone call recordings revealed direct attempts to influence the judiciary on a large scale for the first time in the history ofthis country.

“This is such a serious matter. It indicates that the Police, the Attorney General’s department, judges and other senior officials were being manipulated. We need a thorough inquiry to be done by a commission to expose the full dimensions of the problem. We hope that the Chief Justice will also look into this matter with regard to the judiciary,” the Prime Minister declared.

Education, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Dullas Alahapperuma, also attending the meeting with Editors, pointed out: “The sheer scale of the manipulations and interference has served to undermine public confidence in the judiciary. People will now have doubts about court rulings and convictions.”

State Minister for Power Mahindananda Aluthgamage, also attending, said that according to the recent revelations made in this regard by former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, it was not only MP Ranjan Ramanayake, but several prominent politicians were also involved in this attempt during the previous regime to suppress the Opposition at the time.

Those involved at the time included the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sarath Fonseka, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Ajith Perera, and Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, he said.Ministers Dr. Bandula Gunawardena, Keheliya Rambukwella, and Shehan Semasinghe, and, parliamentarian Udaya Gammanpila also attended the meeting with the editors.