By Norman Palihawadana Courtesy: Island

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa says he had to give the CID officials who questioned him over the abduction of journalist Keith Noyahr in 2008, only yes or no answers as they themselves provided answers.

“I was not questioned. I was asked questions which were followed by statements that were akin to answers. If I thought a statement was correct, I said yes or no.

It was a strange interview,” Rajapaksa told The Island.Rajapaksa said that the questioning him over the abduction of journalist Keith Noyahr was an attempt to harass him. “The government has no plan. It is becoming more and more unpopular. It has been making allegations against me for years now and so far nothing has been proven.”

Shortly after being questioned by the CIC, Rajapaksa told reporters, at his home that the CID, had asked him about two telephone calls he had received from Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, who was then a minister in the Rajapaksa administration and Lalith Alahakoon, the then chief editor of The Nation.

Investigators believe a group of military officials behind the abduction of Noyahr was also responsible for the assassination of The Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickrematunge.