Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe held a closed-door discussion with President Maithripala Sirisena this morning, on the investigations into corruption cases against the top members of the Rajapaksa administration, including the former President’s Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath.

The meeting took place after President Sirisena accusing Sagala Ratnayaka, Minister of Law and Order and the Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister of blocking the Police investigation into Gamini Senarath and some key members of the Rajapaksa family.

At the meeting held this morning at the President’s residence, Wickremesinghe had fully backed Ratnayaka saying the latter never stood in the way of the investigation.

He said there was no “secret meeting” meeting between Senarath and Ratnayaka at the latter’s residence in Deniyaya.

Wickremesinghe had told Sirisena that he personally checked with the state intelligence bodies and they repeatedly assured that there was no meeting between the two. Wickremesinghe had also told Sirisena that he would take measures to inform the UNP Working Committee of the current status of the anti-corruption investigations as many seem to be talking about the matter without knowing the reality on the ground.

It looked as if the Prime Minister, a personal friend of the Law and Order Minister, was trying to broker a “peace-pact” between the President and theLaw and Order Minister.

Sirisena, Colombo Telegraph learns, had played his cards close to the chest throughout the meeting.

Although Sirisena criticized the conduct of Ratanayaka at a meeting with three UNP seniors, namely Malik Samarawickrama, Mangala Samaraweera and Kabir, he gave a patient hearing to Wickremesinghe at the meeting held this morning.