Central Bank P.Samasiri’s Appointment as Consultant Came Under Public Scrutiny?

P.Samarasiri having served as an Assistant Governor for six and half years received his appointment as Deputy Governor on June 1, 2014 with the concurrence of then President and Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera said to have proposed that Samarasiri be given the task of planning out the expeditious establishment of a National Debt Office (NDO).The Finance Ministry sources said, the NDO Bill had been submitted to the Cabinet and was to be presented to parliament.

During Wednesday’s (4) proceedings at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into the issuance of Treasury bond, Chairman of People’s Bank Hemasiri Fernando has disclosed that on March 28, 2016, Samarasiri had been present at a meeting, where the then Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake instructed the Chairmen and senior officials of three major state banks the Bank of Ceylon, the People’s Bank and the National Savings Bank to make bids at the treasury bond auctions at lower interest (yield) rates. Further he said that in addition to Samarasiri, Prime Ministerial advisor R. Paskeralingam was also present. This has created doubt about Samarasiri’s integrity in the minds of the public.