Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe, yesterday testifying before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing the alleged bond scams, said that although the Auditor General is empowered to scrutinise any document the Central Bank had withheld documents pertaining to bond scam, when asked for in writing on June 15, 2016. The Central Bank in turn had refused to provide information of the secondary market pertaining to the questionable bond issues, claiming that it didn’t have such information.
The AG has submitted relevant letter requesting information and the reply from the Central Bank. At this juncture Commissioners questioned the witness , who answered as follows :
Commission member Justice Prasanna Jayawardena: Did you ask for information from the Central Bank after June 15, 2016?
Auditor General : No, The Central Bank replied that the necessary documents were not available. But, the Committee On Public Enterprises (COPE ) had requested the information.
Justice Jayawardena: Did you receive the information required for the audit inquiry from the Central Bank?
Auditor General: No. The Central Bank bought time refusing the provide the required information.
The Auditor General told the Commission though the Central Bank refused to provide the information in relation to secondary market of the treasury bond issues his department had been able to obtain almost all the information pertaining to the primary market.
The Auditor General told the Commission that at the bond auction held on February 27, 2015 the bids amounted to Rs. 20.708 billion and bids amounting to Rs.13.6 billion of the total amount had been received only eight minutes before the closing time.
He said bids amounting to Rs. 13 billion had been made by Perpetual Treasuries.
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath and two others were arrested and remanded till 15th November, by the Fort Magistrate’s Court today…
