Bond issue: Dispute over date of gazette notification

A dispute pertaining to the date of issue of the gazette notification concerning the Treasury Bond issue has led to the suspension of the recording of evidence by the Presidential Commission inquiring into the Bond issue. The Commission directed the investigating officers, today, to obtain a statement from the government printer to ascertain the actual date.

This dispute arose while the secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Dr. L. H. S. Samarathunga was giving evidence and the recording of his evidence was postponed for February 27th.

When Samarathunga was being questioned by Senior Sate Counsel Avanthi Perera regarding the gazette notification No. 1895/19, it transpired that the gazette notification covered the period 01/01/2015 to 31/12/2015, and Samarathunga said that on 01/01/2015 he was not the secretary to the Ministry of Finance and that P. B. Jayasundera was the secretary.

This point made the commissioners to examine the relevant gazette notification and they were surprised on seeing this date.

Additional Solicitor General Dappula De Livera, addressing the commission, submitted there was no issue with regard to the date, as all Bonds issued during the period 01/01/2015 to 31/12/2015 were compiled and a gazette notification issued at the end of the year. Therefore this date had been included accordingly, he said.

However, the commissioners stressed that it was necessary to establish how this date had been included in the gazette notification, and it was necessary to obtain a clarification from the Government Printer in this regard. They directed the investigating officers of the commission to seek clarification from the government printer.

The commission comprises Supreme Court judges K. T. Chithrasiri and Prasanna Jayawardene, and former deputy auditor general Velayudampillai. (Manopriya Gunasekera and Ranjan Katugampola)