Fresh probe on Bond scam to be conducted: Minister

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana

Perpetual Treasuries owned by Arjuna Aloysius had paid cheques worth Rs. 1.08 billion to 108 persons, Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe told Parliament yesterday.   
The Minister said a probe would be conducted on the bond scam though ten years have passed since the scam. “We will conduct probes on scams or malpractices that have taken place even 15 years ago,” he said.   
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Harshana Sooriyapperuma said Perpetual Treasuries had paid funds to MPs Sujeewa Senasinghe, Dayasiri Jayasekara and Harshana Rajakaruna.   
“MP Harsha de Silva should not engage in selective disclosures,” the Deputy Minister said referring to a comment made by MP Harsha de Silva that the Presidential Commission which probed the bond scam has not faulted the footnotes included by some MPs in the Yahapalana government.  
Dr. De Silva who responded said mobile phones of COPE members were examined during that time and it was found that some members including him and then MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake had not got a single phone call, an sms or a WhatsApp message.  
The MP said the Presidential Commission which conducted a probe on the bond scam has not found fault on footnotes proposed by the then government MPs.