BOND SCAM: Prime Minister out to prove his innocence

Colombo (News 1st): The Daily Mirror today reported that the Prime Minister, in a statement to Parliament, yesterday (March 14) said the Bond Commission had not faulted him. Though the Prime Minister continuously maintained the stance that a bond scam did not take place, he followed a very defensive policy towards this issue. After News 1st exposed the Central Bank Treasury Bond Scam in March 2015 for the first time, and when public outcry grew, the President who was overseas at the time, instructed his secretary to probe the matter. However, the Prime Minister was quick to appoint a committee of lawyers who were UNP loyalists. The committee appointed by the Prime Minister comprised of Gamini Pitipana, Mahesh Kalugampitiya and Chandimal Mendis. Their report cleared Ranil Wickremesinghe and Arjuna Mahendran's camp of any wrongdoing. On March 17th 2015, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe noted that there is nothing to claim that the then Governor of the Central Bank was involved in the scam. He noted that the then Governor had given the instructions in the presence of two other Deputy Governors and the allegation the Governor intervened in the tender process is a baseless one. The entire country was aware, the attorney's appointed by the Prime Minister had not understood about bond transactions. If a scam had not taken place, why didn't the Prime Minister show any interest in appointing a team of experts to probe this matter? The Prime Minister did not stop with the Pitipana Committee report, he continuously defended the parties who face serious allegations over the Central Bank Treasury Bond Scam. On March 17th, 2015 PM Wickremesinghe noted that he insisted on a public auction because private placements have led to corruption. Later on October 28th, 2016 he noted that when he met Arjuna Mahendran a week before, Mahendran had noted that he will be attending a wedding and will return. PM Wickremesinghe assured the country that Mahendran had not fled the country like Udayanga Weeratunga. According to the Daily Mirror, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament yesterday (March 14) had noted that the report of the Presidential Commission which probed the issue had not faulted him for anything and therefore he had requested that the reports of the Bond Commission be read to prove his innocence.