He has told colombotoday website that the facility was built around 2009 with the knowledge of the Security Council and the commanders of the armed forces and as an essential step to protect the president’s life in view of threats of LTTE air raids.

The LTTE aircraft that had attacked the Kelanitissa power plant had come to Colombo to target the President’s House, Gotabhaya said.

It has been built not for Mahinda Rajapaksa, but also for any head of state to face any security situation, he said, adding the allegations being leveled are baseless.

Massive cost

When contacted, a top official of the president’s media unit told ‘Sri Lanka Mirror’ that although the work on the ‘underground palace’ began before the war, it was completed at a massive cost for personal purposes of the ex-president.

Mahinda Rajapaksa had gone there only twice – before and after construction, he said.

It was used by his eldest son Namal Rajapkasa, whose rugby friends and closest buddies frequented it, with President’s House staff calling it Namal baby’s rugger home.

The furniture, carpets, sanitary-ware etc. for the four-storey palace have been imported from Italy, said the official.

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