Former Parliamentarian Milinda Moragoda has defended receiving funds from Norway.
Moragoda’s media unit said that the funds had been received for demining work carried out by one of his Non-Governmental Organisations.
Social media was abuzz this week over the funding especially after it was announced that he is expected to be appointed as Sri Lanka’s new High Commissioner to India.
A spokesperson at Milinda Moragoda’s media unit said that there is transparency over the funds received and that it had been made public by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry.
The Norwegian Government signed an agreement with the Milinda Moragoda Institute in 2009 to provide Rs. 140 million in support of humanitarian demining activities.
For the year 2009, the Government of Norway had provided Rs. 140 million to Milinda Moragoda Institute for People’s Empowerment, Sarvatra and Horizon to participate in the Sri Lankan Government’s Humanitarian Mine Action Programme.
A spokesperson at Milinda Moragoda’s media unit also said that the former Parliamentarian has not yet been formally informed about being appointed as Sri Lanka’s new High Commissioner to India.
He said that the approval of the Parliament High Posts Committee and the Indian Government have not yet been received for Moragoda to be appointed to the post.
Courtesy: Colombo Gazette
