Ranil trying to cover-up bond scandal: GL

25 May 2015 09:30 am

UPFA MP G.L. Peiris today claimed that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was attempting to cover up February’s controversial sale of Central Bank (CB) Bonds by alleging that Rs.2.7 trillion worth Bonds had been sold during the tenure of the previous government by violating CB regulations.

“The Prime Minister should have informed parliament if there were any irregularities when auctioning Central Bank Bonds during the previous government because he was then the opposition leader. He had a responsibility to raise these matters in parliament,” Mr. Peiris told a news conference held at the Abhayaramaya in Colombo.

He said the Prime Minister should take the responsibility for appointing Arjuna Mahendran as CB Governor and the sale of treasury bonds and added that there was no credibility in the committee appointed by the Prime Minister to inquire into this matter.

He said the committee had ruled that certain matters needed to be clarified but the Prime Minister had ignored this and allowed Mr. Mahendran to continue as CB Governor. “The government deliberately postponed the debate on the no-confidence motion against Mr. Mahendran,” he said.

Meanwhile, provincial councillor Udaya Gammanpila urged the Premier to reveal the details of the frauds committed when auctioning CB Bonds during the previous regime and requested the President to appoint an impartial committee to look into sale of the CB bonds. (Lahiru Pothmulla)