Losses show Ravi not the only one: JO

The joint opposition said today the losses incurred in the Central Bank (CB) bond sale scam colossal indicating the fact that more government bigwigs other than Minister Ravi Karunanayake were involved and benefited from the scam.

MP Keheliya Rambukwella, quoting State Minister of Finance, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardane, said the losses increased to Rs.1 trillion within the two and half years since it came to light. Minister Abeywardane said at a recent news conference that the losses might increase to Rs.2 trillion during the next 30 years.

“This shows that what Ravi received was a small amount from the Rs.1 trillion which is about eight times greater than the revenue from the Hambantota Port,” the MP told a news briefing.

He said the government, which came to power promising to end corruption, had no moral right to comment on corruption today and that the bond scam was not something that happened on the spur of the moment but a well planned operation.

“The Central Bank was brought under the purview of the Prime Minister and then Arjuna Mahendran, a Singaporean citizen, was appointed as governor despite objections and these decisions had led to the scam,” the MP said. (Lahiru Pothmulla)