A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Wednesday, June 7, 2017
CIABOC awaits AG’s decision-Bond scams
by Shamindra Ferdinando-June 6, 2017, 10:21 pm
The
Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC)
will not act on its own findings in respect of Treasury bond scams in
Feb 2015 and March 2016 until the Attorney General makes known his
decision on the presidential probe report.
The CIABOC initiated inquiries into bond scams in early 2015 during
Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe’s tenure as the Director General of
CIABOC. Last year Sarath Jayamanne succeeded Wickramasinghe following
the former’s resignation in protest against President Sirisena’s
outburst at her institution. They are both Additional Solicitors
General.
The three-member presidential commission of Inquiry commenced sittings this year.
An authoritative official told The Island that CIABOC would await the
AG’s decision though its own investigations were almost complete. "We
are of the view that a decision to move court should be taken following
discussions between the AG and the CIABOC." A hasty move on the part of
the CIABOC would be detrimental to the overall investigation, the
official said, adding that the AG could decide on the report without
calling for a fresh police investigation.
Responding to another query, the official said that the Presidential
Commission Act had been amended to enable the AG to decide on the basis
of evidence gathered by a Presidential Commission.
The official pointed out what he called a significant role played by the
AG’s team assigned to the ongoing Presidential CoI. As the Presidential
Commission of Inquiry had been able to establish vital information
pertaining to the unprecedented case, those handling investigations
expected legal action on the basis of its recommendations.
Sources said that co-ordination among various agencies was essential in
case they conducted simultaneous investigations into a case. Sources
said that the criminal investigation Department (CID) too, had been
directed to probe alleged bond scams.
Former Central bank Governor and Singaporean national Arjuna Mahendran
and primary deader Perpetual Treasuries are under investigation as
regards their alleged involvement in bond scams in February 2015 and
March 2016. Among others under investigation are senior officials of the
EPF as well as some state and private sector banks.
Secretary to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry Sumathipala
Udugamsuriya said that their report could be handed over to President
Sirisena next month. The official said that Deputy Minister Dr Harsha de
Silva, summoned by the Commission on Monday, wasn’t one of those who
volunteered to appear before the Commission.
The Presidential Commission is yet to record Mahendran’s statement
though the CIABOC questioned him in April 2015, just weeks after
Minister Mahinda Amaraweera on behalf of the SLFP lodged a complaint
with it. Mahendran has also appeared before the parliamentary committee
on public enterprises (COPE).
Attorney-at-law Chrishmal Warnasuriya told The Island that had President
Sirisena appointed a Special Presidential Commission comprising three
Supreme Court judges instead of two Supreme Court judges and a former
Inland Revenue Department deputy to probe bond scams, it could have
recommended punitive measures. A Special Presidential Commission had the
authority to punish those who were found guilty whereas the appointed
body, a Commission of Inquiry lacked such powers.