Anti Corruption Front Demands An Immediate Inquiry on Financial Crimes at Central Bank

The two Central Bank (CB) treasury bond scandals and the attempt to delay  appointment of  a new governor to CB have exposed the attempts to protect the corrupt by some elements of the ‘good governance’ government, said  the Anti-Corruption Front.

The report of the Auditors General has stated that the activities of current CB administration have caused a loss of Rs. 1620 million to the state.

ACF insists that that an immediate investigation on those who caused this  loss  should be ordered  and legal action taken. The President was to appoint a new governor to the CB yesterday (29).

However, that was not possible due to the intervention of the Prime Minister, who insisted that Charitha Ratwatte should be appointed as the governor,  but the President has rejected this proposal.

Ratwatte is one of the key figures that led to the defeat of the United National Front (UNF) administration.

His ‘Regaining Sri Lanka’ initiative was not only condemned by the general public but also by some of the staunchest UNPers.

Ratwatte’s appointment will lead to the implementation of neo liberal economic policies, which will ensure austerity, which has proven ineffective across the world, increased taxation and enforce the corrupt systems created by the Rajapaksa administration and sustained by men like Arjuna Mahendran.

Yesterday was the last day of Mahendran’s tenure as the head of the CB. What is unfortunate is that the Bribery Commission has not followed up it’s in- depth inquiry into the first treasury bond scam.

On the other hand there is a systematic initiative by those involved in the treasury bond scam to discredit the report of the Auditor General’s report.

ACF has reliably learnt that they are making a number of affidavits stating that the information in the report is false. It is up to the COPE to take future action based on this report.

It is imperative that legal action be taken against those alleged of being involved in corruption activities.

But it is unfortunate that there is a systematic attempt to protect this official and his corrupt colleagues by the highest echelons of power and those calling themselves ‘civil society activists.’