Sandun A Jayasekera Courtesy The Daily Mirror

A senior Finance Ministry source said yesterday the Central Bank did not release the report on the forensic audit on the Central Bank bond scam because the report puts the blame for the bond scam on the doorstep of the Central Bank.

He said the CB need not seek the Attorney General’s advice on the release of the five audit reports because they are public documents and that several requests to the Central Bank to release the reports, had not received a favourable response.

It has sought the AG’s advise on whether it should release the forensic audit report on the issue of bonds during the previous and current governments, because it could influence the upcoming presidential election.

The report in five sections has been made available to the Central Bank by international auditors who carried out the audit.

The audit inquiry was a recommendation by the Presidential Commission appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena to probe the bond scam.

The source said the AG had nothing to do with the release of the bond report and it is not likely to affect the presidential poll. The main reason for the failure to release the report is that most of the blame for the scandal must be taken by the CB.