Courtesy The Island

• Forensic Audit not launched yet
• Courts not moved against those who lied before PCoI

The Presidential Secretariat yesterday alleged that a parliamentary Sectoral Committee had deliberately undermined the process to amend laws required to handle Treasury bond scams in 2015 and 2016. The alleged scams involved the Central Bank and the Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL).

The Presidential Secretariat also alleged though the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PcoI) that probed Treasury bond scams had recommended a forensic audit on January 18, 2018, it had not been launched.

The media was briefed on the ongoing probe following a meeting chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday (Dec 21). Among those present were Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, Director General, CIABOC, Sarath Jayamanne, PC, Senior DIG of the CID, Ravi Seneviratne and Senior Deputy Governor of the CBSL Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe.

They also discussed the urgent need to expedite investigations into the Treasury bond scams. They pointed out the inordinate delay in moving court against those who lied before the PCoI and destroyed evidence pertaining to the case.

It was also revealed that foreign expertise hadn’t been sought to recover deleted telephone conversations. They alleged that the phones used by suspects hadn’t been subjected overseas scrutiny and relevant agencies had been pressured to delay investigations.

It was also revealed that Singapore hadn’t taken action yet to extradite Singaporean Arjuna Mahendran wanted in connection with the investigation.

President Sirisena has directed relevant authorities to expedite the investigation.