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Wednesday, 2 November 2016 00:49 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Clarifying the stand taken by the ruling United National Party, General Secretary Kabir Hashim yesterday stated that the Government will ensure that legal action is taken not only against the culprits of the much discussed bond issue, but also against the corrupt officials operating during the former regime.
Speaking at Temple Trees, Public Enterprises Development Minister said the COPE report has already been sent to the Attorney General’s Department for legal action, emphasising that the UNP will not protect any person involved in fraud.
The report holds outgoing Central Bank (CB) Governor directly responsible for the alleged fraud involving bond issuance by the CB in February and March last year. The Minister was quick to highlight that action will be taken against “all corrupt officials”, including those who were involved in financial irregularities during the last regime.
“I would like to remind those who are now harping on a single incident, that many more frauds have taken place during the past regime. We are taking all these issues seriously, and even the highest ranking officials who were in the highest levels of the CB will be investigated. Legal action will be taken,” he claimed.
Referring to an alleged financial fraud involving Entrust securities, a primary dealer that has been involved in irregularities in the CB under the previous regime, he said the FCID has been given all relevant information to take action on the issue, emphasising that the dealings of former high ranking officials of the CB had with primary dealers should be investigated and exposed.
Making a rather rushed statement to reiterate the stand taken by the UNP, Hashim was in no mood to take questions from the media and immediately exited the room after delivering his statement. His statement emphasising the future moves to investigate transactions that occurred in CB came just hours after the Sri Lanka Freedom Party appointed a separate seven member committee to study the COPE report on the CB bond investigation.
Firing back at critics in the opposition accusing members of the Government of protecting CB high rankers who held office during the previous regime, he said no one will be spared in the quest for justice.
Hashim repeatedly emphasised the space created by the ruling UNP for a democratic processes and the COPE investigation.
“We have ensured that everyone is under the law, even when we had a minority Government. Through the 19th amendment and the appointment of independent commissions, we have reinstated the supremacy of law in the country. There were different opinions and ideas in the COPE, the space for such difference opinions were there because the UNP created a space where a member of the opposition was appointed as head of COPE,” he reminded.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) yesterday appointed a committee comprising senior party members to study the COPE report on the Central Bank bond issue and recommend a course of action to President Maithripala Sirisena.
Following a lengthy discussion held with the SLFP Central Committee on Monday night regarding the explosive report that was tabled in the parliament last week, a seven member committee was appointed to study the report in detail and make recommendations to the party as CC members held different opinions on the future course of action.
Some factions of the Central Committee were of the view that the report needs to be referred to the Attorney General’s Department for necessary action while others said that action could be filed against those who were allegedly involved in this bond scam based on the COPE report.
“Some members recommended that a presidential commission should be appointed, others had different opinions, so we decided to appoint a committee to advise the President on the issue after a careful study,” UPFA General Secretary Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, who took part in the meeting, told Daily FT.
Accordingly, Ministers Nimal Siripala De Silva, John Seneviratne, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Lakshaman Yapa Abeywardena, Sarath Amunugama, Dilan Perera and SLFP members Lasantha Alagiyawanna, have been tasked with making a recommendation to the President, Amaraweera said.
