SLFP committee on bond scam presents six recommendations to MS

By Chathuri Dissanayake

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) committee on the Central Bank bond issue will present up to six recommendations to the President, including the appointing of a presidential commission.

Member of the committee and SLFP Party Spokesperson Minister Dilan Perera said that the committee will present the report to Party Leader President Maithripala Sririsena today. A committee of seven senior party members were appointed by the SLFP Central Committee to analyse and evaluate the Committee on Public Enterprise (COPE) report to decide on a course of action. 

One of the key recommendations by the committee is to appoint a presidential commission to investigate the issue, said Perera, who advocated the same in Parliament on Monday. 

“The committee has recommended that the President appoints a presidential commission which has more powers than a special presidential commission which is limited to fact finding. A presidential commission has more bite,” he said.

“We also recommended that he appoints a sitting Supreme Court judge or a retired one, this would add more credibility and power to the commission appointed,” Perera elaborated. 

However, he declined to elaborate on other recommendations till the report has been presented to President Sirisena.

State Minister of Finance and member of the committee Lakshman Yapa Abeywardana said that the committee report has outlined six recommendations on courses of action concerning the alleged bond scam.

The committee headed by Minister of Transport Nimal Siripala de Silva also included ministers John Seneviratne, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Lakshaman Yapa Abeywardena, Sarath Amunugama and Lasantha Alagiyawanna. 

The recommendations presented by the committee will first be evaluated, before a final decision is taken by the SLFP central committee, Perera said.