Later, speaking to the media, Ramanayake said that as far as he knew, an investigation launched had been halted halfway.

According to him, there is a police ‘B’ report with regard to the investigation.

Ramanayake challenged Rajapaksa to give a sworn affidavit, like he has done, that he did not accept any money from China Harbour or China Merchant companies.

Also, Rajapaksa can take New York Times to court and seek millions of dollars in damages if the report is false, he said.

Improper connections with foreign businessmen

Meanwhile, minister Sarath Fonseka calls for a proper investigation into the election funding of Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Answering questions raised by journalists today, Fonseka said the New York Times report clearly explained how Rajapaksa accepted money from China for his electioneering.

According to him, both Mahinda and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa are having improper connections with various businessmen and large scale dealers in foreign countries.

Those businesses were allowed to operate although they caused losses to the country, he charged.