Former Governor of the Central Bank (CB) Arjuna Mahendran has been summoned to appear before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into the Issuance of Treasury Bond at 10 a.m. today (19).
It was last Wednesday that Mahendran was told to appear before the Presidential Commission following summons being served to him through a fiscal officer.
The Presidential Commission had received complaints regarding the firm, Perpetual Treasuries, headed by his son-in-law Arjun Aloysius, having earned large profits during the issuance of Treasury Bonds by the CB from 1 February 2015 to 31 March 2016. Later, the Commission summoned officials from various institutions, such as CB employees, National Savings Bank, Pan Asia Bank, EPF, Bank of Ceylon, Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation, People’s Bank who were alleged to have been involved in the bonds scam.
Those officials, giving evidence before the Presidential Commission , submitted affidavits to substantiate their claims. One of those officials charged in the bonds scam, owner of Perpetual Treasuries Arjun Aloysius, too was summoned before the PCol and grilled for five consecutive days during last week. Subsequently he refused to give further evidence before the PCol and most believe that former Governor of the CB, Mahendran, who has been summoned before the Commission today may refuse to give evidence following in his son-in-law’s footsteps.
Mahendran’s lawyer President’s Counsel Chanaka Silva said, that his client has still not made a decision to whether to give evidence before the Commission or not.
