28 March, 2024

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Bond Scam – Clarification From Rosy Senanayake & Harsha De Silva Awaited

By Amrit Muttukumaru

Amrit Muttukumaru

The alleged Treasury Bond scams under the ‘Yahapalanaya’ government are arguably one of the largest financial scams to take place in the post-independence history of Sri Lanka.  For sheer impunity and involvement of a wide spectrum of politicians in collusion with a section of the corporate sector and regulatory authorities it is hard to beat. The muted response of the opposition exemplifies the rot in the governance of this country.

This article is written in the Public Interest from information available in the public domain. Both Ms. Rosy Senanayake and Dr. Harsha de Silva hold influential positions directly under Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

While Ms. Senanayake is ‘Deputy Chief of Staff’ in the Prime Minister’s ‘core team’ at ‘Temple Trees’, Dr. de Silva is Deputy Minister, Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs where the Prime Minister is the Minister in charge.

Clarification from both parties is in the Public Interest.

Ms. Rosy Senanayake

Rosy Senanayake

Media reports of proceedings in the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the alleged Treasury Bond Scams have given prominent coverage to the clarification by Nuwan Salgado – Chief Dealer of Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) relating to the purported phone recording of a call originating in the UK on 8 August 2016 from Kasun Palisena CEO of PTL requesting Nuwan Salgado to obtain from ‘PTL owner’ Arjun Aloysius documents on his (Palisena) testimony given to COPE for onward transmission to former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran. The recording has Palisena purportedly telling Salgado that Arjun Aloysius had received the documents from Rosy’s son.

The media has Salgado clarifying to the Commissioners under oath that:

i) “Rosy” referred to by Palisena is “Rosy Senanayake (Former member of D.E.W. Gunasekara’s COPE in the seventh Parliament)”  

ii) “Rosy’s son” was identified as “Kanishka Senanayake”  

(Ref. ‘Daily Mirror’ 7 September 2017)

Ms. Senanayake has strongly denied this allegation stating she was not a COPE member after the August 2015 parliamentary elections.

The question then arises as to what made PTL CEO Kasun Palisena in August 2016 to refer to Ms. Senanayake’s son in regard to COPE documents? Media reports do not enlighten the public whether the documents referred to were from the D.E.W. Gunasekara led COPE report prior to the August 2015 parliamentary elections when she was a member or from the Sunil Handunnetti led COPE report after the August 2015 parliamentary elections when she was no longer a member.

If the reference was to the D.E.W. Gunasekara led COPE report, Ms. Senanayake would presumably have a copy. This would not be so if the reference was to the Sunil Handunnetti led COPE report. In the public interest and in the interest of Ms. Rosy Senanayake herself should not the PCoI Commissioners and the media clarify the same?

Be that as it may, would not Ms. Rosy Senanayake in her capacity as ‘Deputy Chief of Staff’ in Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s ‘core team’ have access to both COPE reports? The question arises whether this was the context in which Kasun Palisena made reference to “Rosy’s son”?

Clarification from Ms. Rosy Senanayake is awaited.

Dr. Harsha de Silva

Reference is made to the following excerpts from ‘The Sunday Times’ of 30 October 2016 on the controversial ‘footnotes’ in the Sunil Handunetti led COPE Report on the alleged Bond Scams signed by UNP members of COPE which included Dr. Harsha de Silva: (emphasis added)

Dr. Harsha de Silva

“At no time before has the United National Party (UNP) used its might so strongly in Parliament to try and block what it perceived was a report not to its liking.

Handunetti revealed that the following 16 members accepted the report without the footnotes. Sunil Handunnetti (Chairman), Rauff Hakeem, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, Dayasiri Jayasekara, Lakshman Senewiratne, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Anura Dissanayake, Chandrasiri Gajadeera, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Bimal Rathnayake, Weerakumara Dissanayake, S. Shritharan, Gnanamuthu Srineshan, M.A. Sumanthiran, Nalinda Jayathissa, Mavai S. Senathirajah – from the SLFP, JO, JVP, TNA and the SLMC.

Those who accepted it subject to the inclusion of the footnotes, he said, were: Ravindra Samaraweera, Wasantha Aluvihare, Harsha De Silva, Ajith P. Perera, Ashok Abeysinghe, Hector Appuhamy, Sujeewa Senasinghe, Harshana Rajakaruna, and Abdullah Mahroof – all of the UNP.

As is clear, the thrust of these footnotes is to make clear that Mahendran has not been responsible of any impropriety.

The UNP is confident that it can, through the documentation Deputy Minister Harsha de Silva has received, prove its case that its man Arjuna Mahendran is not to blame.”

Response to Journalist on ‘Footnotes

“Minister do you at any point now regret the footnotes on that COPE report? Going by what is being revealed now, do you regret it or was there a lack of information at that point?”

Watch his response from (21:25:40) – what does it indicate?

Clarification from Dr. Harsha de Silva is awaited.

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Latest comments

  • 6
    0

    “Watch his response from (21:25:40) – what does it indicate?”

    Dr Harsha De Silva just shakes his head. Never heard him saying a single word. Will we be able to watch the full video? Obviously Harsha should regret now about their foot notes trying to save ROGUE RANIL.

  • 8
    0

    It is the Prime minister Ranil wickramsinghe under whose authority the central bank functioned. Itis the finanace minister, Malik Samarawickre representing Prime minister and the Central bank governor Arjun Mahendran were at the meeting. Why rosie who worked in PM’s office and Harsha De silva is part of that and PM Ranil is hiding behind. That looks like cheap act for a prime minister as a leader.

  • 12
    0

    Did Dr. Harsha’s son get a scholarship from the Presidents Fund when MR was President ?
    His first wife Janaki Kuruppu ( the boys mother)was a a member of the MR worship gang and in and out of Temple Trees. She ended up being appointed boss of the Tea Board although she has no background in the tea industry

    Who are these chaps trying to fool ?

  • 9
    0

    If he is so concerned about people giving bribes why can’t he ask parliament to bring in a law that it is a criminal offence to give a bribe.simple solution.Those who give bribes will think twice before pulling out their wallet.

  • 4
    0

    Watch out this bugger is a “kotiya” now turned santu santu, after they were vanquished.

    • 0
      2

      I am made to understand that he was taken to court by both K Raveendran and T Bandaranayake on account of defamation relating to Rotary matters.

      • 3
        0

        ROTARY MEMBER – YOU ALLEGE:

        “I am made to understand that he was taken to court by both K Raveendran and T Bandaranayake on account of defamation relating to Rotary matters.”

        What has ‘Rotary Matters’ to do with:

        “Bond Scam – Clarification From Rosy Senanayake & Harsha De Silva Awaited”

        Whoever you are, since you have raised ‘Rotary Matters’ as a DIVERSION and have attempted to SLANDER me, I am COMPELLED to respond:

        1) Rotary International is a CORRUPT NGO

        2) K.R. Ravindran (who went on to be Rotary International President) and Tissa Bandaranayake who held a senior position in Rotary International sued me for Rs. 100 Million alleging ‘defamation’ after I raised issues concerning the INTEGRITY of Rotary

        3) On their INITIATIVE both cases were SETTLED on IDENTICAL undertakings. So much for the FALSE defamation!

        4) I was rewarded with my Rotary membership being terminated TWICE

        5) Harsha de Silva to the best of my knowledge is a Rotarian

        I refuse to get sidetracked by RED HERRINGS

        The alleged Treasury Bond scam which is arguably one of the largest financial scams in the post-independence history of Sri Lanka appears to be going the same way through a blatant ‘cover-up’ as so many other corruption scandals to bedevil this country. The muted response of the opposition exemplifies the rot in the governance of this country.

        I am sure all right-minded persons are awaiting clarification from Rosy Senanayake & Harsha De Silva. WILL THIS EVER COME?

        AMRIT MUTTUKUMARU

        • 0
          0

          ROTARY MEMBER

          Further to my above response on the issue of alleged ‘defamation’ raised by you, I EMPHASIZE:

          After alleging ‘defamation’ K.R. Ravindran and Tissa Bandaranayake took the INITIATIVE to SETTLE both cases on IDENTICAL undertakings given by ALL parties which included THEMSELVES! Does this not expose their FRAUDULENT ‘defamation’ charge?

          K.R. Ravindran went on to be Rotary International President while Tissa Bandaranayake was a member of its ‘Finance Committee’.

          I again ask, what connection has this issue of ‘defamation’ with:

          “Bond Scam – Clarification From Rosy Senanayake & Harsha De Silva Awaited”

          Obviously this is a red herring and a diversion.

          The alleged Treasury Bond scam is arguably one of the largest financial scams in the post-independence history of Sri Lanka.

          It is in the Public Interest for Rosy Senanayake & Harsha De Silva to respond.

          Harsha de Silva may be known to you since to the best of my knowledge he is a Rotarian. Does not Rotary claim to be an ETHICAL organization?

          AMRIT MUTTUKUMARU

  • 1
    0

    There is always this “Neither confirm nor deny” mode to fall back on. Possible to garnish with “ignorance and/or wrong interpretation of events.”
    GoSL must order an impartial inquiry but this is in the realms of the “Mission Impossible”.

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