Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Sunil Handunneththi assured Parliament today that there was no move to sweep the Central Bank bond scandal under the carpet. He made this statement in response to an allegation by Joint Opposition MP Bandula Gunawardane.
Sunil Handunneththi – COPE Chairman
Handunneththi also said that the COPE report on the controversial bond scandal involving former Governor Arjuna Mahendran will be presented in Parliament on October 13. “COPE is working based on a road map and there is no move to sweep the matter under the carpet,” he said.
Gunawardane alleged that a series of underhand tactics had been adopted in an effort to sweep the issue under the carpet. Citing reasons for his claim, Gunawardane said that the sudden change of members in the committee was one such tactic.
In early August the committee announced that it will release the report on the bond issue before end of August, however this has now been postponed for next month.
In July, the Colombo Telegraph reported that the independence of the COPE was in jeopardy due to clandestine moves by the UNP to thwart attempts in taking action against Mahendran. Since the Auditor’s General’s Report was released, several UNP members in the COPE have been trying to find various excuses in their attempt to delay the process. However, other members of COPE have been equally adamant and have not allowed certain UNP members to act in an unacceptable manner which can jeopardize the COPE’s investigations process.
In July, the UNP leadership decided to bring in Sujeewa Senasinghe, in an effort to strengthen the UNP COPE team trying to protect Mahendran. The party had ordered MP M. Velu Kumar who was a COPE Member to resign from the committee, and make way for Senasinghe. Subsequent to this move, mid- last month, Senasinghe is alleged to have adopted an intimidating tone during the questioning of officials of Central Bank over the bond scam. Senasinghe later received an earful from the more senior members of COPE who warned him against his unacceptable manner of questioning the officials.
Douglas / September 8, 2016
This “Bond Scam”, surfaced, buried, surfaced and will be buried soon or later with the intervention of those who hold power. This “Report” will be another “reading material” left in the library of the Legislature. The COPE Chairman knows it best. We know it too, the way the “Architect” of the “Bond Scam” moves around with his “Master” without any “fear or shame”. With this “Bond Scam”, there is another, (much more) “Scam” that has been “Buried” from everyone’s attention and investigation. What has happened to the “Massive Scams” that took place during the tenure of the former Governor of the Central Bank. To mention some of those: Greek Bonds, Purchase of Real Estates in Brazil, Hiring of Public Relations Agencies in USA etc. All those “Scams” put together would well surpass the present “Bond Scam” and the “Involvements” could be of “Royal” type. All will end up in a hushed up BURIAL. AMEN.
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jim softy / September 8, 2016
Mr. Sunil Handunneththi
In a decent and honest parliament, first Mr. Ranil wickramsinghe and Mr. Malik Samrawickrame and also some beaucrats inside the central bank would have resigned while Arjun Mahendran fired or resigned too.
Instead, they have made this another drama. That says all.
I don’t think Sri lanka finance ministry as an accountable office to the public.
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thrishu / September 8, 2016
Every crafty and roguish tom dick and harry thinks that Sri Lankan national assets are there for them to take whenever they want, and if they know the tricks, and whom they know. We had Rajapakshas abusing it as their personal family asset (boodaley)and now RW has imported some crooks, and the story repeats. When OH When, these politicians of ours care a little for the voters, the citizens burdened with enormous taxes; all caused by greedy crooks and parliamentarians working as highway robbers, hand in glove.
Mr Handunnetti, we look towards you to get things done, name the crooks and see to it that they return what they steal. But please beware of the backstabbers planted there into your committee by the protectors of those crooks.
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jim softy / September 9, 2016
Already, people know that JVP is also playing a game. If JVP cannot take it’s acts together. It loses eventhe few seats it has.
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eldorado / September 9, 2016
Mr Sunil Handunnetti, you have a fairly clean profile with the public as at present. Don’t rub egg all over it. As far as i am concerned you were always a clean guy who called a spade a spade.
The public are waiting to see how this whole scam will end and whether the rogues , whoever they are, will be exposed by COPE.
Remember you have a civic duty to perform by People and Country.
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Len / September 9, 2016
You wright most of the dirt been vacumed already only few dust spots left to be covered up.
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