Govt. to freshly engage with Singapore over Arjuna Mahendran’s extradition

Sri Lanka's new interim government headed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will continue to request Singapore to extradite former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran over his links to the Central Bank Bond Scam, Cabinet Spokesperson, Ramesh Pathirana told the Daily Mirror.

Pathirana said the government would review the commission reports on the Bond Scam and all those involved in it, will be exposed and arrested.

Former President Maithripala Sirisena had in September this year signed a 21,000-page document for Mahendran's extradition which was sent to the Sri Lanka High Commission in Singapore to be handed over to the Singaporean government. Then in early October, the Singaporean AG's Department said it is considering Sri Lanka's request. Pathirana said the new government would now follow the matter with the Singapore government.

In June this year, the Attorney General filed indictments against Arjuna Mahendran and nine others before the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar over the Central Bank treasury bond scam. Later in August the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar summoned the accused to appear before the court on July 19 and then issued a warrant for his arrest. (JAMILA HUSAIN)