Arjuna Mahendran Bolts Overseas As COPE Report Presented In Parliament

October 28, 2016

Bringing an end to weeks of speculation and uncertainty, the highly awaited COPE report on the controversial Treasury Bond scam was presented in Parliament today.

Arjuna Mahendran

However, by the time it was presented, ex-Governor of Central Bank, Arjuna Mahendran had already bolted out of the country.

The report was presented to Parliament by the Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Sunil Handunneththi this morning.

In his recommendation, Handunneththi said that legal action must be taken against Mahendran as he was responsible for the bond transaction.

The COPE report drafted by Handunnetti received the support of 16 members in the Committee, while the UNP members in the Committee agreed to Handunneththi’s report provided certain ‘foot notes’ were added.

Handunneththi’s report, also recommends that steps be taken to recover the loss of monies from those responsible.

Mahendran is a Singaporean citizen and was the 13th Governor of Central Bank. He was appointed to the post by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Despite his checkered past at Central Bank, no sooner Mahendran’s term at Central Bank came to an end, Wickremesinghe appointed him as the Head of the Sri Lanka Five Year Development Plan.

Meanwhile, the Joint Opposition has requested for a special debate on the COPE report, before the budget is presented in Parliament.

Read full report here

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