The Daily News

*A person of her stature cannot be vauge

*Opens slew of questions

Legal experts yesterday immediately reacting to a letter dispatched by Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake regarding the financial improprieties cited in the impeachment motion, say that these defences are untenable.

For example she states (through her lawyers) that she banked with the National Development Bank (NBD) since 2010. The letter states: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Our Client has declared all operative accounts that have assets in her declaration of assets and liabilities. The Bank has informed our Client that there are a few non-operative accounts which contain zero balances. There may be non-operative accounts in other banks which our Client operated prior to 30th October 1996, which our Client believes have been closed, states the lawyers letter to certain news media.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢

Legal experts stated that a person of the stature of a Chief Justice cannot be hard to say that she ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”believesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ that there ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”may have beenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ inoperative accounts. A person from whom high standards of integrity are expected, should be precise regarding financial transactions and leave no room to say she ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”believed that there may beƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, which is vague and opens doubt as to the veracity of her claim. Her lawyers say that her sister had remitted amounts for the purchase of an apartment, to her accounts. They also state that there was an amount of 19 million remitted in this way – – and not 36 million.

Her saying now that this was money remitted by her sister is untenable, as nobody knows the truth of this assertion.

This situation retains valid questions as it opens her to a slew of queries as to the origian and disposal of such monies remitted, legal experts say.