29 January 2020 12:01 am
By Yohan Perera
Former President of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Sunil Handunnetti in a letter addressed to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, had requested him to take legal action against those who were responsible for the bond scam based on the facts revealed in the forensic audit report.
“The forensic audit report had confirmed the conclusions that had been arrived at by the COPE and Presidential Commission reports on the bond scam. The scientific investigations carried out through the forensic audit had also strengthened the grounds for legal action against the wrong doers.
Besides it was conducted for the very purpose of taking legal action against those who were responsible for the scam. It would be a waste of public funds if no action is taken based on the forensic audit,” he said in the letter.
“The forensic audit had revealed facts that led to the time when the scam had actually begun. It had also revealed conflicts of interest that had taken place when it came to the Central Bank. Another important fact is that the EPF funds have
also been used for the scam,” the letter added. He mentioned that various persons, disturbed over the findings of the forensic audit report, had already begun fleeing the country.
Mr. Handunnetti emphasized that action against the scam has already been delayed by five years.
“ You have got an opportunity to penalize the wrong doers and if action is not taken, people will conclude that ordinary citizens and white collar thieves are treated differently when it comes to legal action” Mr. Handunnetti said in the letter and added that he will continue the struggle to bring those who were responsible for the bond scam to book.
The forensic audit had revealed facts that led to the time when the scam had actually begun