21 March 2019 04:50 pm
UPFA MP Mahinda Amaraweera said today President Maithripala Sirisena had taken all steps at the diplomatic level and had made a written request to extradite former central bank governor Arjuna Mahendran from Singapore.
He told parliament that the President had intervened in every possible way from his side to bring down Mr. Mahendran to Sri Lanka.
"The President has completed all steps diplomatically and also in writing to bring down Mr. Mahendran. He had made a personal request from the Singaporean Prime Minister in this regard," he said.
He said this responding to a request made by JVP MP Nalinda Jayatissa for an explanation over the statement issued by the Singapore Government rejecting President Sirisena's claim that Singapore government was not supporting to extradite Mr. Mahendran.
MP Amaraweera said the President will issue a further explanation to the Sri Lankan people and Singapore Government on the matter shortly.
Mr. Jayatissa said the Singapore government had rejected the President's allegation saying that the Singapore Government had not received necessary documents to extradite Mr. Mahendran.
UPFA MP Udhaya Gammanpila, who joined the committee stage debate of the Ministry of Primary Industries, said that the justice ministry was responsible for taking necessary steps to extradite Mr. Mahendran from Singapore under the extradition law.
He said President Maithripala Sirisena had instructed Sri Lankan authorities to take necessary steps to extradite Mr. Mahendran after he made the request from the Singapore Prime Minister to support in that effect.
"Justice Ministry should explain why it had not taken steps to make a request from the Singapore Government," he asked.(Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera)