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Friday, 8 July 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Chamodi Gunawardana
The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) will take legal action against former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran if evidence is found implicating him in the controversial Treasury bonds issue, State Minister and COPE Member Lakshman Seneviratne said yesterday.
Speaking at the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) weekly briefing, Seneviratne said the SLFP was still maintaining the stance Mahendran was involved in alleged insider trading.
“COPE has already commenced investigations into the issue and all members have fully studied the Auditor General’s 1251-page report on Treasury bond transactions. The final decision will be announced after analysing both the report and statements made by Mahendran and other relevant officials,” he told reporters.
Seneviratne added the AG’s report, which was handed over to COPE last week, was a trustworthy document on which to base its decision.
In response to questions regarding the newly-appointed Governor, Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy, Seneviratne stressed President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had made an ‘absolutely correct’ decision by appointing an economic expert for the position.
“The SLFP warmly welcomes Dr. Coomaraswamy as the new Head of the Central Bank,” he said. However, SLFP Spokesman and Minister Dilan Perera said it would be unlikely that legal action would be taken against Mahendran as no recommendations made by COPE had been implemented to that effect so far.
He claimed this was the reality of local politics and it would be unlikely that Mahendran would be allowed to take legal action against the former Central Bank Governor.
“COPE is only empowered to make recommendations, they cannot initiate legal action and have never done so,” he said, adding if such a landmark event were to take place COPE would “make world history”.
Pix by Shehan Gunasekara
