Dappula Objected Sumanthiran Appearing on Behalf of Pathumanapan
S.Pathumanapan , a central bank employee was recently interdicted in connection with his alleged involvement in the treasury bond scam. Jaffna District TNA lawmaker Sumanthiran, who was a member of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), which summoned Pathumanapan during D. E. W. Gunasekera’s tenure as its Chairman, was representing him (Pathumanapan) at the commission.
Senior Additional Solicitor General Dappula de Livera strongly objected to President’s Counsel M. A. Sumanthiran, MP, representing S. Pathumanapan at the bond commission alleging a serious conflict of interest on the part of the MP.
Sumanthiran retaliated by opposing the Attorney General’s Department officials assisting the bond commission after having participated in investigations. Sumanthiran explained why they shouldn’t be leading evidence after having interrogated his client Pathumanapan. The lawmaker cited the relevant laws that prohibited them from assisting the commission.
Then, MP Sumanthiran explained the circumstances under which he happened to be at the bond commission on Monday consequent to a call received by attorney-at- law Dinesh Vidanapathirana.
Meanwhile the bond commission recorded statement of the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe for an hour.
After PM Ranil Wickremasighe left the premises, De Livera reiterated his strong objections to member of COPE Sumanthiran representing a person ,who had been with the Public Debt Department as well as the EPF now under investigation.
De Livera referred to Sumanthiran’s client taking/receiving over 700 calls (some taken from his brother’s phone). He declared that Sumanthiran’s role as Pathumanapan’s counsel was highly unethical.
Both Justices Chitrasiri and Prasanna Jayawardena intervened on several occasions with Sumanthiran asserting that it would have been better, if he hadn’t attended the bond commission. Sumanthiran said the commissioners would have been comfortable , if he hadn’t been present. A smiling Jayawardena said that they would be comfortable when the MP left the premises.
Looking at Additional Solicitor General Yasantha Kodagoda, Sumanthiran dared the official to get into the witness box while vowing to disprove forensic report on the Communication Information Analysis which he called false and illegal.
Sumanthiran lashed out at the commission for alleging that his client had been interdicted one day after the release of the report. The Counsel blamed his client’s plight on the commission, prompting the commission to counter accusation that it had recommended the termination of services. The commission instructed Sumanthiran to check who had signed the letter terminating his client’s services. Sumanthiran identified the person as the human resources manager of the Central Bank.
Objecting to Sumanthiran’s claim, the commission said it didn’t play the role of the human resources department of the Central Bank.
As the proceedings came to an end, Sumanthiran reminded the commission that Parl.
