Governor of the Central Bank, Arjuna Mahendran is on the hunt for the Central Bank whistleblower who disclosed his credit card details to National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader, Wimal Weerawansa.
Mahendran
Colombo Telegraph reliably learns that ever since yesterday’s revelation by Weerawansa about the high spending lifestyle of Mahendran, the Central Bank Governor has launched a hunt to find out who leaked the confidential information from the Bank’s Finance and Internal Audit Department about his expenses.
On Thursday, Weerawansa alleged that Mahendran had spent a staggering Rs. 14.5 million rupees in 2015 alone as personal expenses which have been paid by the Central Bank, an allegation rejected by Mahendran as ‘baseless’ and claimed that all his personal expenses were paid by him from a credit card issued to him by a private bank.
But, Weerawansa citing a credit card statement issued to Mahendran from the Central Bank said that his food bill alone has been Rs. 3.6 million, while his hotel bill was Rs. 4.7 million from February to December 2015. “If you break the food bill for this period, he has eaten for more than Rs. 10,000 a day,” Weerawansa told a news conference.
Apart from the hotel and food bill, Mahendran has also spent Rs. 1.7 million last year for entertainment purposes. “So to eat he has spent Rs. 10,000 a day, and for his entertainment another Rs. 5000 a day,” Weerawansa said.
The cost incurred for Mahendran’s inbound travelling alone during this period is said to be around Rs. 650,000. “Basically when you look at the travelling cost, it seems like he was never at the Central Bank, because he was always out travelling,” Weerawansa said.
He also claimed that the Central Bank had paid Rs. 2.1 million for Mahendran’s clothing bill which he had purchased overseas. “I don’t know if the clothes were made out of gold, but no Governor in the history of the Central Bank has ever wasted so much money as much as Mahendran has,” Weerawansa said.
Weerawansa added that everyone was talking about alleged robberies during the Mahinda Rajapaksa government, but everyone was now silent when daylight robberies such as these were taking place out in the open.
The government is coming under increasing pressure to not extend Mahendran’s term as Governor, which is scheduled to end later this month.
Native Vedda / June 4, 2016
Why is he reluctant to publish his official Credit Card statements and account for every penny that’s been paid by the Central bank?
He should only fear if those payments included nightclub bills, payments to massage parlours, Casinos, ….. upmarket call girls, ………….
It would be alright if he had bought Scotch at duty-free shops especially for KASmaalam K A Sumanasekera. That is the only way Arjuna could shut Kasmaalam’s mouth.
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Sri Lankan / June 4, 2016
Did this Governor of the Central Bank behave different than any other head of governments in local or regional or national level?
All sons of guns live their luxury life by charging their expenses including their family and friends expenses as state’s expenses.
How many of these losers lived in the same level of luxury life before they got that job or how many of them can continue to live that luxury life after they level the job?
In fact how many of them can get a similar job outside of Sri Lanka based on their expertise?
Did Governor of the Central Bank behave any different than MR &Co any other political leader in power?
No wonder every 3 months Sri Lanka is shamelessly applying to get a new loan to pay the interest of the previous loans!
Let us praise the name of leading schools in Sri Lanka especially in Colombo that produce these so called national leaders and smart people! What a losers!
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Punchinilame / June 4, 2016
In the Corporate world one goes by precedence – so Cabraal may have
expended something more and most possible due to the laxity on expenses
under the past Regime?
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Coconut Republic / June 4, 2016
Obviously, when you place your bills for reimbursement , the whole world knows it. Chk all your accounts dept personnel out going mails.
Anyhow, why such huge bills? ???
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Deshapremiya / June 4, 2016
If Arjun can claim these arguments are “baseless”, then why doesn’t he disclose his accounts and prove otherwise and prove that Weerawansa is lying? The problem for Arjun is that he can’t prove because what Weerawansa said is correct. These whistle blowers should be hailed as heroes for leaking information that uncovers more theft at the CB. The accounts should be transparent anyways. Isn’t it these Yahapalanaya goyya’s, bayyas and jokers who clamored for transparency. Now what do you have to say? May be Arjun did get a blow job too under the table after each of those extravagant 10,000 Ruppee meals as desert. Time to ditch these white collar criminals and pack them off to Singapore. Better yet to their graves.
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Hamban / June 4, 2016
Oh! do not criticize the innocent CBS governor for he has Ranil’s blessings to do anything.
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Nuwan / June 4, 2016
Oh the leaks. This world is plagued with leaks. But not a single denial. A decent government will not spare this guy.
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Amarasiri / June 4, 2016
Governor of the Central Bank, Arjuna Mahendran,
RE: Arjuna Mahendran Hunts For Central Bank Whistleblower
“Colombo Telegraph reliably learns that ever since yesterday’s revelation by Weerawansa about the high spending lifestyle of Mahendran, the Central Bank Governor has launched a hunt to find out who leaked the confidential information from the Bank’s Finance and Internal Audit Department about his expenses.”
“On Thursday, Weerawansa alleged that Mahendran had spent a staggering Rs. 14.5 million rupees in 2015 alone as personal expenses which have been paid by the Central Bank, an allegation rejected by Mahendran as ‘baseless’ and claimed that all his personal expenses were paid by him from a credit card issued to him by a private bank.”
Why don’t you fess up. That way you do not want to hunt for people.
Fess up and just do your job!
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len / June 4, 2016
Arajuna better open his book’s double quick time otherwise mother of all crooked politicos light fingered Werrawansa starting to look credible so far in this soap opera. Isn’t it ironic if any one be outed by Weerawansa on corruption hilarious!!
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justice / June 4, 2016
If true, Mahendran has to explain to taxpayers how he became eligible for personal expenses by the bank – unless he was on official travel abroad approved by the relevant minister.
The amounts appear excessive.
It is astonishing that he was paid for his clothes – this never happens even in private firms.
His hunting for the person who revealed all this, appears to suggest that all these expenses were actually incurred.
These revelations on top of the Bonds “scam” do not make him indispensable.
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thrishu / June 4, 2016
No need to hunt, Mr Mahendran. You are the only cheating foreigner there, all the remainder are Sri Lankans, I guess, and so whistle-blowing on your corruption and mismanagement. Bully for them!
I must say, Weerawansa is doing a good job for a change, and while he is at an exposing mood, I hope he will also kindly expose his dirty laundry bag as well as his spouse’s
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KA Sumanasekera / June 4, 2016
The dude forks out LKR 2.1 Million for a suit. I hope it is at least double breasted to pay that sort of dosh.
For his Entertainment Yahapalana Tax Payers were docked LKR 5000 a day.
Auyrvedic Massage Centre in Marine drive charges only LKR 2000 for an Oil massage.Unless you ask for a happy ending as well.
I am not alleging that the Singaporean was a client.
But this is just a comparison of costs for entertainment for the High Rollers of our Yahapalana Government.
The Governor’s food bill was LKR 10,000 a day , every day.
Wonder what he eats for Brekky, Lunch and Dinner?.
Looking at his double chin, he shouldn’t be eating even Masala Dosai even without Gee, let alone fancy 3 courses fine dinning with saturated fats and excessive doses of sodium chloride and sodium nitrites.
Although our Yahapalana suckers are paying for it..
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Native Vedda / June 4, 2016
KASmaalam KA Sumanasekera
Krishna to Arjuna just before the start of Kurukshetra War:
“Whatever happened, happened for good.
Whatever is happening, is happening for good.
Whatever will happen, that will be for good as well.
What have you lost? why are you crying?
What did you bring with you, which you have lost?
What did you produce, which was destroyed?
Whatever was received, was received from here.
Whatever was given, was given here
You brought nothing when you were born
You are taking nothing with you when you die
Whatever is yours today was somebody else’s yesterday and will be somebody else’s tomorrow”
Bhagavad Gita
influence.techmazic.com
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KA Sumanasekera / June 4, 2016
Dear Native,
Don’t worry mate.. The Singaporean ain’t going anywhere
I am told he just got an extension..
Who ever wrote that BG, didn’t know how much pull this dude has in our Yahapalana Government…
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Nuwan / June 4, 2016
Did he fund this government? Did all those politicians traveled to SGN during the pres election campaign go to meet him?
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Native Vedda / June 4, 2016
KASmaalam KA Sumanasekera
“Who ever wrote that BG,”
Veda Vyasa supposed to have written it.
BG is not BS.
Are you familiar with the mythical Mahabarata epic? BG is part of it.
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Amarasiri / June 4, 2016
KA Sumanasekera
“The Governor’s food bill was LKR 10,000 a day , every day.”
Does anybody know Governor Mahenderan’s Body Mass Index (BMI)?
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Native Vedda / June 5, 2016
KASmaalam KA Sumanasekera
“Auyrvedic Massage Centre in Marine drive charges only LKR 2000 for an Oil massage.Unless you ask for a happy ending as well.”
Is it the market rate? Who paid for you to have a happy ending, an expatriate Dalit worker from Medieval Middle East country?
How much it is going to cost you to repair the gun days after the happy ending? Go on you can tell us, what you say here stays here.
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By Jingo / June 4, 2016
Mahendran is proving to be the albatross around Ranil’s little neck, so it will be interesting to know what his (Ranil’s) reaction will be to these disclosures.
Maithri better heed conventional wisdom and show this fraud the door before another dubious appointment proves to be more ammunition for MR’s gang to unseat him.
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rew / June 4, 2016
Definitely time for Mahendran to depart. He is an embarrassment, and the cause of the UNP not winning a solid working majority at the August 2015 election.
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Saman / June 4, 2016
Born to rob the counutry, had a controversy when he was the BOI chairman in the UNP government in 2001. The reason he is spending so much is he knows that nothing can be done to him as the treasury bond scandal funds was diverted to fund the UNP election campaign. Good job Weerawansa.
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Patriot / June 4, 2016
CT quoting Wimal. Is this signs of things to come, having had enough of washing Yahapal Naya clothes.
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sekara / June 4, 2016
Let us look at the message and not the messenger.
Do you want WW blacklisted?
Why not provide your list of personae non gratae to make life easy for CT!
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Suresh / June 4, 2016
It is his the Governors right to find out who leaked confidential documents to the media.
If the person:/people are found they should be sacked immediately.
How can u run an institution with total control of the staff?
Have they forgotten Nivaad s bills?
Blood idiots, they ll be the losers not the Governor
CT what is ur grouse with AM.
You too being bribed?
It sure looks like it.
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T Dumphreys / June 4, 2016
You sound like a loser up the gum tree?
Sloth!!
Even a kindergarten kid knows Aesop’s fables- The king has donkey’s ears.
However much the public are threatened Mahendra of HSBC the bank know for money laundering worldwide is no saint.
China has slammed the door on Ranil and the $1 billion grant
speaks volumes of what China and HSBC can do to him and Ranil.
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Plato. / June 4, 2016
It is PM.Ranil who will eventually suffer due to the style of Governor Mahendran.
When you are in Rome,you must do what the Romans do!
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sekara / June 4, 2016
Had a proper inquiry been conduced by the government after the first sign of an irregularity, the CB, the government and the country as a whole could have been spared many a scandal.
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Pistachio / June 4, 2016
Mahendra’s present game boy.
don’t worry after the IMF loan which would finally flow from 15th June he is due to call another Bond issue for US $3 billion and that can’t wait.- wall street journal. Samanta Power is well aware of it from the day 29th when she approved IMF loan. She is more than elle girl but Shin Fang Foe- no one better than Yankees to mess a nation.
So he is desperately trying to lower the flame.
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sr / June 4, 2016
The general public don’t have knowledge about CB head’s salary and perks and other entitlements.
It’s important to make people aware of salary and other entitlements of high ranking officials.
The figures given as personal expenses of this official is staggering but what’s important is whether he is entitled for them or not.
Are the personal expenses of the CB head through the bank kept confidential?
In case of the whistle blower being identified, what’s the punishment he can be given.
Though there’s high confidentiality in CB activities there must be transparency in some areas.
If revelations are incorrect what will be the consequences for Weerawansa.
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Japwatch / June 4, 2016
Is he living at a 5 star hotel? Then food n travel would work out to that amount. The level the economy is right now, it would be exemplary if he would rent out a room in Mattakuliya or kollonnawa. No this country does not have a real smart CB governor who deserve such luxurious spending. Curse of the people will befall him.
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Nosy Parker / June 4, 2016
When the bloke was at the BOI he used to fly first class to Singapore every weekend to be with the family .
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Sunil / June 4, 2016
I don’t think Mahendran will be foolish to use Central Bank to pay for expenses not in policy. Travelling could be high due to his extensive official visits to World Bank meeting in US, World Economic Summit in Davos, Visits to Saudi (these are some which I saw in newspapers). He may have paid for his suit from CB card but then paid it back. Mahendran is educated and experienced internationally. He is not going to make this simple mistakes. It is only the calibre of Weerawansa and Sashi and Rajapaksas will do such things. Eating at a hotel in London or USA will be much more expensive than Colombo. Arjuna must be given the opportunity to respond to these baseless allegations. If ever Arjuna wants to make money, he will make billions and not millions because he is personally well off born to well to do parents and married to a well to do society lady.
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Nuwan Bodhipala / June 4, 2016
Did anyone ask for Nivard Cabraals credit card statements during the Rajaoakse regime.
Why this fuss about Mahendran?
Don’t expect the Governor to stay in YMCA and eat at KFC when travels overseas on official visits.
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Native Vedda / June 4, 2016
Nuwan Bodhipala
“Did anyone ask for Nivard Cabraals credit card statements during the Rajaoakse regime. “
It should not absolve Arjuna.
He has nothing to fear if he has done no wrong.
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len / June 4, 2016
Nuwan Bodhipala
Are you defending Arajuna by pointing to Cabarala’s crooked deals. I got a question for CB boss Arajuna what would have been the consequences for him if he was the Singapore CB governor? Some Sri Lankan’s are so morally bankrupt now they defending the indefensible by pointing the finger at previous crooks.
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sekara / June 4, 2016
“Don’t expect the Governor to stay in YMCA and eat at KFC when travels overseas on official visits.”
Why should any Governor be economical, especially when he has a whole country for him to eat up?
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Gune / June 4, 2016
I don’t want to know if this story is true or false as I am fed-up of this government and the past government which has has only served its personal interest. But Wimal saying all of this is like the Pot calling the Kettle black.
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Plato. / June 4, 2016
He has eaten for Rs:10,000 a day says this Sinhala [Edited out] Weerawansa[Edited out]
The CB.Governor is a Singaporean,and apparently lives in a 5/7 star hotel,in this country.
You cant expect him to go to Saraswathy Lodge for Breakfast;
You cant expect him to go to Sumanadisi Hotel for Lunch;
You cant expect him to go to Mohamediya hotel for Dinner:
This chap Weerawansas bills in the HEAVILY subsidised Parliamentary canteen for his eats and drinks[Tea,Coffee,fruit drinks] etc will also amount to about Rs.10,000 in the outside.
Will Weerawnsa,now avoid the Parliamentary canteen and eat outside without compromising his standard diet?
How can a guttersnipe take his wife to Disneyland?
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Japwatch / June 4, 2016
Plato,
If you were born in Sri Lanka, you remain a Sri Lankan. You may go to the moon, Mars or Pluto, yet, you remain Sri Lankan in your eating habits, and the way of living. Caviar, blue cheese, escargot, sea urchin, sushi, fondue, they are delicacies. But I am sure, this Governor would drool if he was served dhall, hodi, vendhaya kulambu, ambulthiyal, thosai, ulundu wade etc. oh come on, don’t tell me that he cannot rent out a place in Colombo and hire a maid to cook these things. You can pretend to be an elite, but I am sure it is tiring. And frankly, there are no elites in Colombo. Read Koluu’s column in Daily Mirror, you will understand this.
All Sri Lankans love the eateries you mentioned and Mahendran family are no exception. Never mind the guy Weerawansa, Namal and the other Rajapakshas who has to do more pretending to become an elite. We can deal with them later. That is another problem of its own.
But this guy, would do well by returning to Singapre, dine in Komathy villas, and al, those Chinese joints in Gaelang. Who is he trying to fool?
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pattapal / June 4, 2016
This is sensationalism at its worst. I am sure Colombo Telegraph readers can put it all in context, and not fall for the typical media hype of lies that kept the MR regime afloat for so long, due to the ignorance of the masses.
This is less than US$100,000. Please compare that to multiplying this figure by 100,000 for minimum estimate of money taken out of the Country during the MR tenure, (over US$10B) Also Rs14.5M pales in comparison to the value of the car permit that Wimal would have just got, namely Rs40M, which in my opinion is WRONG, as I do not believe SL MPs should drive around in vehicles that lawmakers in the wealthiest countries in the world DO NOT go around in.
This is the CB Governor of Sri Lanka, who has contacts with all top bankers in the world from his last job in S’pore where income was over US$5M. He is trying to renegotiate loans to the tune of US$Billions, and if you do not entertain world’s top bankers at top restaurants and stay at same hotels they do, how are you going to bat for SL? Of course Weerawansa only bats for himself and his wife, and is trying to get cheap political mileage. The Governor may have spent more on his personal account too, which has NOT gone through his CB Credit Card. Also, first find out how much of his CB bills he has personally repaid back, before making these silly and puerile allegations, because the staffer who leaked this information does not even understand how much it takes to persuade international bankers to lend to bankrupt Sri Lanka.
If he is on the lookout for the staffer who leaked it, it is because the people are not able to digest the reality from the fluff! And he knows it all too readily!
Just think about it. If we did not have the MR debt burden cursing us Sri Lankans, we would not have had to call on Mahendran to leave his top paying job and take a job that is OPEN TO SCRUTINY here. Even humbug Wijewardene, who harps on the CB being broke could have done the job!
I hope the reader can now distinguish between the men and the boys, and know what high stakes business is all about in the real world. Unfortunately we just don’t hear of the great rip off of our local politicians with their hand on the till daily, raking more than this just on one deal all the time!
It is easier to bash Mahendran, as he is the football for everyone. Ironically, He is possibly the least corrupt and the most qualified person in any job of the new Govt. and the real rogues are laughing at this exposure, as they like Weerawansa are the true traitors milking more out of the system, and know how to hide it.
Remember Mahendran charged it to the CB Card. He did not carry illicit cash like all the other politicians so you cannot even trace their brothel bills! He really has nothing to hide. Many in SL can’t spot the real rogue in their midst.
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justice / June 4, 2016
pattapal,
You say “This is less than $ 100,000”.
One US $ = Rs. 147
How/where/when does anyone from Sri Lanka spend Rs. 14,700,000 or, is granted this sum to spend, on food, clothing and travel, within a period of a few months – even in the private sector ?
Could you please explain?
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pattapal / June 4, 2016
You clearly part of the problem! A frog in a well!
He was hired to negotiate with the foreign bankers and IMF. I admit he is not a good communicator with the locals, and administrator at the CB, but there are others who can do that better.
A room in a hotel costs at least Rs100K a night in DC or NY. with entertaining a lender or two at about the same price again, means that 5 nights is a million. so with that maths, Fourteen such trips and you are done.
Thats not counting airfares that probably are in that too, Business Class to the US is 500,000!
Where are you living? Its the age of the WWW you know, knowledge is available to all. Only some people know how to access it it seems!
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Stungun / June 5, 2016
pattapal
Purple Plus!!
and it took a government servant like Kerry one telephone call to change your regime.
The lender bank IMF do not need a poor nation to live in luxury- its value is known.
Samanta made a trip to Washington on 29 April and asked the french woman to payup she agreed same day and now on the 15 june its all approved. the french woman begged for a second term because she was white woman in the American owned bank.When there is mark Carney, Dr Raghu etc.
China still with $3.3 trillion sovereign fund refused to offer a bridging loan of $1 billion was the icing on the cake.
Folk who have dealt with banks know money is surreal.
ADB loan, A billion was given to nepal 20 years ago on just the friendship a nepali had with bankers employed brother. His company were employed as consultants- wheels within wheels.
stop your bull- all gas no S**t.
____________________
you are lucky the Diaspora Tamils are stingy by nature and disorganized as ever because they have hydrocele. they still remit around $8 billion by way of consumption travel etc. They can easily buy stuff elsewhere but they are greedy villagers who have never seen money before 83 riots.
if this weapon was used then the west would have taken note. if the CHOGM was used by majority the west would have noted. A land of hydrocele run by CIA at present. now its all past tense because one must hit the iron when its red.
Lanka owes $8 billion on short term loans to China!! Laughing, swindling
and selling women to arabs.
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pattapal / June 4, 2016
The above comment is the very reason Mahendren is looking for the whistleblower. It is the very reason that the Weerawansas thrive. Lets get our education system to a degree we can look at things objectively. Politicians rob this country blind because we allow them to. The educated leave the Country as a result. As did Mahendren. I am sure he must be regretting taking this job. He did not need the money after all, but damned if he was going to spend his own money on State Business, when the Politicos are spending your money on their business! Where is the outcry?
What is transparent is NOT understood. What is hidden is buried, HOBSONS choice. Disclose and be damned or don’t disclose and rob the Country Blind. Time to hit the books, and do some serious learning.
What you dont see you don’t know, just fish a little and you will find. Just read my blog for the juicy stories that will give you goosebumps.
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pattapal / June 4, 2016
Give me a break, and we spend 6 lakhs of state money for air ticket to send our Previous President to Uganda to attend their Presidents 6th term taking office! Only dictators graced this, was it just a trap by this Govt. to use at the next election against MR? The mind boggles.
Interesting to see the vitriol when his reappointed. Even more interesting to see reaction once his son in law’s company, that employs the smartest dealer in SL, reports zillions of profits on primary dealing, as they are over ten times bigger than the nearest NON bank primary dealer in SL. All this due to a lack of understanding of the system of bond trading.
Those who shout the loudest have the most to hide. The others are merely the herd following their trail to the river!
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Suresh / June 4, 2016
Nosey Parker you are so wrong.
Why write bull when you are unaware of the real facts.
His wife & children were all in Colombo, SriLanka during his tenure at the BOI.
Both his children attended Colombo International School.
Bloody ass, you have chosen the perfect name for yourself .
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Spring Koha / June 4, 2016
Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
This man’s 14.5mil is petty cash compared to what some of the big-hitters for the Great Liberator’s team spent in the course of their ‘serving King MaRa’.
Weerapattiya and his cookkaa’s will need to look for another bone to chew on.
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Native Vedda / June 4, 2016
Spring Koha
“This man’s 14.5mil is petty cash compared to what some of the big-hitters for the Great Liberator’s team spent in the course of their ‘serving King MaRa’.”
KASmaalam K A Sumanasekera does not believe so. He believes the king and his cronies lived a frugal life, on frugal meal, frugal entertaining almost nil, frugal night car racing, frugal accommodation when they traveled to UN, frugal security details, frugal purchase of arms, frugal contracts, ………….
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villageman / June 4, 2016
Mahendran will resign and leave the country for good very soon. Just heard that the IMF passed the 1.5 billion dollar bail out. He will pocket it and go soon. The past one year was very productive to him. He made his son in law to borrow from BoC for low interest and lent it to Central Bank for high interest, ensuring a stable income for his daughter for the next twenty years. Now he has bag full of money form IMF to enjoy honeymoons in Singapore and Hong Kong. Not bad admitting to Royal College to grow up with crook-mates.
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punchinilame / June 4, 2016
add “Even a Red Notice from Interpol will not apply” !
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justice / June 4, 2016
Mahendran must go.
His successor should be selected after worldwide advertisements in journals, newspapers and the web, by a team of Sri Lankan economists
from the academia and former Central Bank top brass – no politician should be on the board.
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Yapa / June 4, 2016
Reasonable expenses are OK.In spending one must keep in mind that this money belongs to those who expect a good return to the Country.
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Pitiduwe / June 4, 2016
Mahendran is following my advise. A king shall dine as a king!
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cat with 9 lives / June 5, 2016
but he sends his clothes to the laundry- did you see the laundry bill??
“A king shall dine as a king! “
then belch and fa*t like the Romans do or find a maid like IMF does.
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