21 November 2017 06:17 pm
He further said that he called Arjun Aloysius only to write the book about the Bond issue and challenged the CID to prove that he called to commit a fraud.
He added that he expects to take legal action in this regard in the future and noted that appointing a commission only to probe the Bond issue from 2015 was a conspiracy to destroy the UNP.
While addressing a press conference at the UNP headquarters Sirikotha in Pitakotte, State Minister Senasinghe said that the President should not become party to the wants of some people to destroy the young politicians of the UNP.
He further said: ‘I am actually badly disappointed about the President. We elected him by making sacrifices. A certain organization had told the President that he could gain power in 2020 by destroying both the Rajapaksas and the UNP. I called and told him about this a month ago. What did he do by extending this commission? Mud is being slung at us by extending and extending this commission.
Where are Presidential Commissions for the Mig deals. Where are the commissions for Ship deals, advertising deals and spectrum deals? Seven billion of public money. I am telling the President that we are also of the same age as his children. If he is protecting his children, if he is being hit by E-news, in the same way it’s not correct for a certain media to attack us.
When he promised to bring 20 and only brought 4 as the common candidate, many people were not in favour of giving it to him. At that moment myself and Rosy Senanayake both said that how many he came with should not be the concern, but since he took a decision and came, we should begin the campaign at that moment. If there is a wrong-doing, implement the rule of law. If he can appoint a Bond Commission and catch thieves, why can’t he do it for the others.
I am telling the President that he willfully did not start probing this from 2008, but started from 2015. He could have easily looked at how Bonds were handled from 2008. Why couldn’t this be done when we asked him? What was done here was a conspiracy against the UNP. I am committed to protecting the UNP.
Also Handunnetti cannot ethically sit in the COPE committee. He is the first person who spoke against the Bond issue. If he holds a certain opinion on a certain matter he does not have an ethical right to Chair such a committee. We can have an opinion and sit as a member. We will not protect either Aloysius or Ratwatte.
There was a big outcry against the Bond issue. A certain media due to personal reasons made this into something much bigger than what it was. I must specifically say that I opposed when Arjuna Mahendran was first appointed. At that moment I told the Prime Minister that either Arjuna Mahendran should resign or Arjun Aloysius should resign.
When all this was happening I got a chance to get appointed as a member of the COPE. I did not have much of an idea about the Bonds. It takes about six to seven months to understand this. What I did first was to understand what these bonds were. Whatever anyone says, it was I who asked the most amount of questions from Aloysius at the COPE. His connection with Cabraal’s sister. How he got this after 2008. It was I who asked all these questions. Also it was I who questioned about the conflict of interest in his father-in-law being the Governor of the Central Bank. None of those in the opposition question him about these. I wrote a book about these and asked the Bond Commission to summon me.
I don’t need to get two cents of bribes to earn money. Therefore I am saying that this country cannot be run according to the requirements of a certain private channel. This cannot be done to run your business, to control the President, to get rid of officials. We cannot allow this to happen.
I will resign if the Prime Minister asks me to or if the people ask me to, but I cannot be stopped. " (Nimala Kodituwakku and Indika Ramanayake)
Sujeewa replies to journalists
Excerpts from the press conference State Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe had:
Q-Do you infer that by with this transaction the country has suffered no loss.
A-I am stating according to what I know. Not me it is the Supreme Court that decided there was no loss.
Q-Did the Perpetual Treasuries Company have legal right to purchase Bonds at the Primary Market.
A- It is possible in the Primary Market.
Q-Can they resell them in the secondary Market.
A-Yes they can.
Q-Has the EPF the right to purchase Bonds in the Primary Market
A-Yes they have the right.
Q-Can they resell them in the secondary Market
A-Yes they can
Q-When they could have bought them at the Primary Market, why did they opt to purchase them from the Perpetual Treasuries company on payment of 2% commission.
A-That is what you should investigate. A State institution does not take that responsibility. It is taken only by a private institution (Nimala Kodituwakku and Indika Ramanayake)
Video by Buddhi, RM