President calls for Bond Scam investigations to be expedited

COLOMBO (News 1st) - President Maithripala Sirisena has instructed the respective authorities to expedite the investigations surrounding the Central Bank Treasury Bond Scam. He made these remarks during a meeting held with the members of the Commission to Investigate Bond Scam and other officials at the President’s Office, today(August 28). The President had emphasized delaying investigations were an obstruction to serving justice and further instructed authorities to continue with investigations and institute actions against those responsible. At present, four interim reports were handed over to the President, the remaining reports are to be handed over to him by December. The officials pointed out that even though they requested banks to provide documents for the last five years relating to money laundering, banks are yet to provide the information. They added that this has caused difficulties in conducting further investigations. The Attorney General’s Department stated cases have been filed against the defendants under the Penal Code considering those crimes as criminal offenses. It was also stated that that evidence will be presented through affidavits before this December. According to the President's Media Division, President Sirisena had pledged his full support to expedite the investigation. Finance Secretary Dr. R.H.S Samaratunga, Central Bank Governor Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy, Acting Police Chief C.D. Wickramaratne, and officials from the Attorney General's Department attended the meeting.