BY KAMAL MAHENDRE WEERARATNE Courtesy Ceylon Today

Aruna Benedict Dias, Deputy General Manager of the Treasury Department (bond transactions) of the Pan Asia Bank, told the Presidential Commission probing controversial Treasury Bond issues at yesterday’s hearings that Arjun Aloysius “begged me to help him when giving evidence before the Presidential Commission since the following fortnight would be risky and might be harmful to him and his firm Perpetual Treasuries,”

Dias revealed this before the Commission in response to being cross examined by Aloysius’s lawyer President’s Counsel Nihal Fernando,……with the Commissioner, Supreme Court Judge Prasanna S. Jayawardene, chairing the proceedings.

Witness Dias emphasized to the commission that he was invited by Arjun Aloysius by phone several times and finally begged of him to come and meet him at least for 5 to 10 minutes.

He further said, “When I went to his premises I first met his security officer and then Aloysius came out and ushered me into the house and offered me a cup of tea. But I refused with thanks and asked only for a glass of water that I was served.

“He as good as asked me to not to divulge urgent facts about the EPF money transactions which could prove harmful to him and he repeatedly reassured me that, should something untoward happen to me in my employment at the Pan Asia Bank because of this, he would secure me employment at one of his brokerage companies.”