Following the comprehensive report by the Committee on Public Enterprise (COPE) on the scam involving the sale of the Treasury Bonds in the Central Bank, Colombo Telegraph learns that Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe has no procedural authority to forward a report to the Attorney General.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
“This sending of the report is a complete sham by Ranil, who seems to think the people are fools who don’t understand nuances. He thinks he could ease the public animosity by saying or doing something which seems popular but in actual fact is completely nonsensical or in this instance only makes sense in showing how far he is willing to go to cover the issue up” a source within the UNP critical of the approach by the leader said.
Colombo Telegraph learns that the move by Wickremesinghe to involve the Attorney Generals office, was initiated in order to delay any proceeding against his friend and confidante former Governor Arjun Mahendran.
Wickremesinghe is said to be relying on the lethargy and inefficiency of the Attorney Generals department and the judicial bodies at large. The mode of ‘taking up files’ by the Attorney Generals department is in normal circumstances the prescribed First in First Out method, unless as specified by regulation. Accordingly all pending cases before the Attorney General have to be cleared prior to the pending file being taken up for observation.
Under normal circumstances an opinion by the Attorney General could take up to 2 or 3 years if not more.
However, The Colombo Telegraph asked a cabinet Minister close to President Sirisena as to the reason behind the silence on the issue by the President and members of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) in the cabinet, despite such flagrant abuse.
” He is stuck after Ranil shot down the issue regarding his son. After the assault at the night club by his son, he cant speak about Law and Order with the Minister or his confidantes because everyone knows what happened” he said.
The Attorney Generals department although deemed an independent body is rife with inefficiency and politicisation. During the tenure of the former President, successive Attorney Generals and officers worked at the behest of the then government.
KA Sumanasekera / November 4, 2016
Here is something for our PAYE Yahapalana suckers to ponder..
Their Finance Minser Galleon Ravi from Bloemendhal said all the borrowings so far is just to pay the loans which Rajapakasa borrowed.
This was in response to the Chinese Ambassador implying that the Finance Minster tells fibs.
The Ambassador said that all Chinese Loans have only 2 Percentage Points, Interest.
Mahendran’s Yahapalana Bonds issued through SIL’s old t PT, carry Interest Rates of 14.65 Percent.
Even if you convert it to Renminbi, that is more than Seven Times the rate which the Chinese Loans have be to serviced.
Where does that more than 10 percent of 600 Billion go . Or in simple terms who collect it?.
Are any mates of Malik Samare here !!!!!!
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maalumiris / November 5, 2016
K A Sumanasekera
Shhhhhh!… Such things don’t happen under Yahapalana.. Didn’t you know ?
We are now living in era of Milk and Honey, so they tell us.
We are free of tyranny, corruption and hushing-up of unpleasant things. And apparently ‘onna-menna’ to receive the Billions that everyone is talking about but no one has found. Instead a full 60% of my every bill I have are taxes I never heard of before… maybe that is how they will find the Billions.. in my pocket
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Fathima Fukushima / November 6, 2016
Every government robs. So don’t blame the UNP.
Look at the bright side. Now these things are openly discussed. Journalists don’t get shot dead. No white vans. Remember the days of Rajafucksa? Lasantha died after exposing the deals.
Anyway I agree we need better governors. Muslims have been discriminated against in these positions. At least now after 68 years we need a Central Bank governor and chief justice from the Muslim community. Be fair.
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maalumiris / November 6, 2016
At least the Rajapakses robbed directly.. without feeding us BS first.
At least there was some infrasturcture projects happening.
These jokers havent even paved a single foot of pavement since they came to power.
If you are happy to pay the tab of the UNP personally, be my guest. Those who voted for them didnt vote so they could get robbed with a pretty story instead of an ugly one.
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Native Vedda / November 7, 2016
maalumiris
“At least the Rajapakses robbed directly.. without feeding us BS first.”
Actually he bribed VP to win elections (which is a crime) and told the country he single handedly won the war without a single civilian was being killed (a very big bull and a license to kill and loot), as for infrastructure projects, your great grand children will still be repaying the loan and interests to foreigners at their late 90s, return on Matale Airport, Norochcholai coal power plant, Hambantota Harbour, Mihin,…. are great source of income for the country, …..
“These jokers havent even paved a single foot of pavement since they came to power.”
Who voted them in?
How about the JO? Do you think their clowning is better than those jokers who haven’t paved a single foot of pavement since they came to power?
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jim softy / November 4, 2016
Attorney General, in order to have a job for him, needs to be lethargic and inefficient, because he is handling completely a political case. He can not do his job as it has to be favoured to politicians as they want it.
Ranil wickramsinghe knew from the beginning that Mahinda Rajapakse govt had used various schemes to rob the central bank. Once Ranil came, he did not correct it. Instead, he got his people to probably legally but definitely – unethically steal money from the central bank. Once it was exposed, all the way, he made it a political issue by appointing lawers by he himself, there after handing over it to highly politicized committee of COPE members, giving duty free car permits to COPE members, appointing more UNP members to COPE, manipulating COPE from the beginning until the end. Eventheir COPE report had different versions which means attempt to hide the truth.
It is simply Ranil wickramsinghe’s lack of respect to the voters or to the law of the country and to none. He is just using every thing for his own good at the expense of the country.
Ranil wickramasinghe knew all about the previous govt. Even then, Ranil chose this way means how arrogant, how disrespectful him to veters and how negligent or carefree about the use of country’s resources or wealth.
So, how should the people trust him to continue any more ?
It looks simply no one at the top has ears to hear and they all are overpowering the voter franchise, simply they want to be successful and they want to rob the country. It looks many politicians are lieing in order to protect Ranil wickramsinghe. Some others are trying it milk to have advantage for them.
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AJ / November 4, 2016
In response to shooting of Tamil students by police you commented : this kind of shooting is common in the west.
Canadian Liberal government In 1996 to 2004 was involved in large scale corruption called ‘sponsorship scandal’. It cost 13 million for the Commision to investigate. This type of corruption and scandal are common in the west, just like shooting of people. Stop your double standard whining
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Burt / November 4, 2016
So based on your argument ethnic cleansing should be fine as it has been done before by Hitler and then by Milosevic.
Talking about the two students you have missed of using the five students murdered in Trinco and no one was held accountable so why on these two students.
Now do you realize how stupid your argument is?
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AJ / November 5, 2016
not based on my argument, based on Jim’s argument. now you realize how stupid your interpretation of my argument?
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paddy / November 4, 2016
It’s a case of you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours … while the public has to scratch their own backs.
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Sumith / November 6, 2016
“Ranil To Dodge ‘Bond Scam’ Through AG Bureaucracy”
Instead of putting into AG should the government bring back Kangaroo courts from previous regime?
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Common Sense / November 4, 2016
When the COPE publishes a report, which naturally becomes a part of parliamentary documents, it is the government of the day who must take action. Clearly the COPE reports a loss. As to whether it names persons responsible for it, I cannot say, as I have not read the report.
It is nothing wrong for the Government of the day to refer such a report to law enforcement agencies on two grounds. Firstly whether to find out whether there is a violation of the law for prosecution. Secondly, civil action to recover the losses.
The difficult part is to pin down the individuals who are responsible. I dare say that the reference to AG Department though perfectly legitimate is done with something up the sleeve. Leave alone the delay, it would require a quite a lot of skill, based on circumstantial evidence, to launch a successful prosecution and/or a civil case. There is a chance for them to say that although there is very strong suspicion it cannot stand the test of proof beyond reasonable doubt. What then? Hey presto Giri-Giri! Bond Mahendran becomes clean, a newly laundered individual, even fit enough to become the Governor again! What a mockery!
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Not a legal eagle / November 4, 2016
Agree with you Common sense, except for your skepticism about a successful civil case.
‘Proof beyond reasonable doubt’ is only required in a criminal prosecution. In a civil case ‘balance of probabilities’ is the standard. Although even successful civil action would be difficult, any AG/lawyer worth his salt should be able to convince the court that a great loss has occurred, and who should be held responsible for damages.
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Common Sense / November 4, 2016
Quite so. The question I pose is whether there are sufficient material for any lawyer to successfully launch even a civil case based on “balance of probabilities”. It definitely requires the skill of say a person like say Francis Seow of Singapore those days who successfully prosecuted Sunny Ang for murder. If the lawyers feel that they don’t have the capacity they might say that they don’t have material. On the contrary the easiest way to launder Mahendran clean as ever is to launch purposely an unsuccessful civil/criminal action and see the man acquitted clean as ever. I say this because other web news papers publish a statement attributed to Mahendran saying that “The High Court has already acquitted him”
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rana / November 4, 2016
COPE committee cannot named or accuse anybody as culprits or responsible for the bond scam. It is beyond their scope. Their job only to find out if there is a corruption or scam did happened in the Bond Deal. The only thing COPE can do is to giving their views,observations etc..That’s why UNP MP’s in COPE blabbering outside saying that COPE never said anything about PM or PM responsible for this scam.COPE can only say that, a scam did happened and CB Governor and the CB staff responsible for this because it is a government entity. Then as a minister of finance,PM automatically become responsible. If COPE accuse or convict anybody, that can be challange in a court after AG take legal action in future.
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Amarasiri / November 4, 2016
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
RE: Ranil To Dodge ‘Bond Scam’ Through AG Bureaucracy
“Colombo Telegraph learns that the move by Wickremesinghe to involve the Attorney Generals office, was initiated in order to delay any proceeding against his friend and confidante former Governor Arjun Mahendran.”
“Wickremesinghe is said to be relying on the lethargy and inefficiency of the Attorney Generals department and the judicial bodies at large.”
Friendships are fine, being a “Royalist” is fine, but it does not mean that you have to cover them for every stupid move they make.
When you do that you will expose yourself as a a greater idiot covering minor idiots.
//” He is stuck after Ranil shot down the issue regarding his son. After the assault at the night club by his son, he cant speak about Law and Order with the Minister or his confidantes because everyone knows what happened” he said.//
I am holding your balls and you are holding my balls, and we are all ball holders.
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Douglas / November 4, 2016
I said in an earlier comment not to get caught to this “Gimmick” of the PM’s announcement of referring it to AG. Even now, the President has come to align with that. Why? Both have to scratch each others back and eek out some survival. I said in my comment, this COPE report is merely an Observatory Report to the Legislature. The Members of the COPE admit that they merely “Examined” matters as presented in other “Reports” including that of Auditor General. Therefore the Legislature has to first adopt it in total or decide to refer it to a properly constituted legal body to “Investigate” all matters relating to the Bond issue and then submit those findings to AG, so that, that office will decide (depending on the findings) whether there is a case to proceed with appropriate legal action or not. So this decision to refer it (the Report) in that “RAW FORM” to AG will not bring any results and I call it definitely another “GILMART” to hoodwink the people. Let someone, knowledgeable in this forum, educate me, if I say that AG is not an “Investigative Machinery”; but a “Decision Maker” to proceed with some findings of another Law Enforcement Authority and ASCERTAIN the worthiness and recommend appropriate Legal Steps to be taken against any who are answerable and accountable. Why can’t PM and the President move the Legislature to make a decision to refer it to the FCID or such Authority and instruct to make a “Forensic Investigation” within a given period of time and submit the findings to AG to proceed with appropriate legal action against who have committed this “crime”. If the Legislative Assembly makes that decision, NO ONE will be able to and must NOT interfere with either the Investigation or the Findings. That is the way forward and Good Governance formula.
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EDWIN RODRIGO / November 4, 2016
Ranil became PM thanks to Prabhakaran. Just like him, so many of our so called political leaders are in their positions thanks to the same man. Ranil got there because Prabha bumped off Premadasa, Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayaka paving his way to power. They were leaders with wisdom to whom Ranil cannot hold a candle. Had they not been killed in that manner, Sri Lanka, under their leadership would have been a much better place in every way and Ranil woud still be playing childish games with Chandrika.
Ranil is an irresponsible and immature ‘man’ with the mentality of a child. He is a clown. Look at the way he behaves in the Parliament. Can anyone point out any other leader of a country behaving that way? When the bond scam came he involved the name James Bond with it. The faithful fans sitting with him in the Parliament laughed dutifully. His main goal seems to be to entertain these unfaithful cronies. Not to be serious and serve the country.
It is not that he is dishonest and not faithful but that his intellect and leadership is not good enough to rule the country. He would have been a good President of the Old Boys Association of Royal College but that would have been the highest level his intellect fits.
How did a master crook like Arjuna Mahendran become the Governor of the Central Bank? In how many countries is there a foreigner holding such a crucial position? There was only one reason that he was chosen by Ranil himself when so many qualified Sri Lankans were there. He was a Royalist. Period.
We are glad that MR finished the war. If Ranil was in power he would have appointed a Tamil Royalist to lead the Army. I am sure that with the political leadership of Ranil and the military leadership of the hypothetical Tamil Royalist, the war would have been won – yes, but by the wrong person – Prabha.
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Burt / November 4, 2016
There is a right way to handle legal issues and a wrong way and my personal opinion is that dealing through the AG is the right way. Otherwise it will be like the time of MR having kangaroo courts with politicians if not in politics will not even hold a peon job sit in judgment of subjects they know or understand.
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Aia / November 4, 2016
“Under normal circumstances an opinion by the Attorney General could take up to 2 or 3 years if not more.”
Ridiculous, isn’t it. Why do we need a department with such response time?. So now AG has to refer the matter to the court and the SG look after the interest of the Government, is it MS or Ranil?.
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The Oracle / November 4, 2016
Our good PM is hardly ever in SL and none of these trivial matters bother him .
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EDWIN RODRIGO / November 4, 2016
His constituency is old Royalists, most of whom have left for greener pastures. So, what can Ranil do? If the mountain does no come to Mohammed has to go to the mountain.
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harry hatton / November 4, 2016
Ranil is the master of playing the people for suckers. He gets into his tie coat and travels overseas at least three times a month . Even when in the opposition this is the pattern.
It will really good if the people can know how many times this man has traveled overseas since he came to the parliament in 1977.
It is easy to find out. Just check his passport.No body wants to do this because this is what all politicians are doing.
Who pays for the travel. Where do they stay? What is the benefit for the country ? Has this trip made a difference ?
People in this country are a sad lot.
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Park / November 4, 2016
As per the constitution and laws of the country if there had been a loss to the government then it has to be presented to the Attorney Generals Department to file action. Hence, sending the COPE report is not an error.
However, the President has the right to appoint a court to sit in judgement. If President appoints a special court for the bond scam investigation then the question arises why the President did not appoint the special court to investigate the Rajapakse cases? Is the President as stated by the Purawasi Balaya has a deal to protect Rajapakse family!
Even in a court of law COPE report will be treated only as an evidence and any evidence including the Auditor General’s report which is an evidence can be challenged.
In my opinion the issue here is each one of us have predetermined view that there was fraud or not in the bond issue. We have not, including the COPE members have investigated without a predetermined opinion.
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nishan / November 4, 2016
Someone please explain how to take action if the report is not forwarded to the AG for prosecition?
to my understandign COPE report is not a legal document so punish mahendran (both) it has to go to a legal department?
Otherwise those criticisng please explain what else can be done. Legally cannot randomly put them in jail or withdraw licenses.
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srinath.gunaratne / November 4, 2016
Man, Doesn’t this government has FXXXCID, and never ending list of investigative bodies created to expedite the justice!?
This exactly what I thought going to happen when the two bullshiters in UNP after Ajith Perera and great economist Harsha was trying to kiss the hand they could not chop!
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Leelawathie / November 4, 2016
Stupid Idiot, you should be well Aware of the Kind of cases in EUrope. Living further in europe, but to react other way around is no means accetpable. We Need even more bodies with teeth to catch all Kind of high crime doers such as Rajakashes. Now Gota saying that he had no the like intentions to have built up AWA the like Groups, he may feel that he could just leave it that way. That is why we Need more of serious Kind of investigations…… as living processess to eleminate These men in srilanka.
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jim softy / November 4, 2016
Under normal circumstances an opinion by the Attorney General could take up to 2 or 3 years if not more.
2-3 years is for Ranil to stay Prime minister until the next election. It is all programmed for their exitence at the expense of the country.
I don’t think they will ever recover a rupee from the money the country lost. They will manoever it until peope forget it and until it no longer maaters.
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jim softy / November 4, 2016
For them stealing is simple.
but the country is in debt.
Sri Lanka owes its global debtors $65 billion while the lower tariffs have brought in formidable challenges, Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen said in Geneva at the fourth review of the trade policies and practices of Sri Lanka yesterday.
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AJ / November 4, 2016
Jim,
these factors make the national debt worse : ‘Muslims grabbing the Chinese government by the throat,’ ‘release of political prisoners’, ‘Indians moving to active war zone when people in the war zone were fleeing’,’non release of Buddhist monks arrested for child molestation,’ ‘Tamils from Canada grabbing government land from Canada without stepping to Sri Lanka’ ‘Justification of shooting of Tamil students compared to the west because America did it’ ‘why can’t army build Buddhist temples in private land in north without their consent if Tamils can buy a land and build temples in Colombo’ etc
We have to tackle these factors in order to reduce our national debt? You should open a political party and I have already listed your manifesto.
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rohan perera / November 4, 2016
this is typical Uvindu pissu katha. If not AG Uvindu expects the report needs to be sent to him?
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Mara / November 4, 2016
Joint opposition has made the Bond issue a joke. According to tuition master Bandula now the loss has gone up to Rs. 1000 billion. Is it new math’s or Arithmetic. Now we have seen loss figures varying from Rs. 580 million to 1ooo billion. Hurrah? Who will believe them.
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Soma / November 4, 2016
Mara you are an idiot.
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Mara / November 4, 2016
I totally agree with Nishan. We have to follow the legal procedures in Sri lanka. The only other way we know is as taught by MR and GR telephone threats followed by mobike gangs and finally the white van. Then Arjun Mahendren will follow Ekneligoda. Thajudeen and Lasantha.
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ajith / November 4, 2016
COPE report is not worth the paper it is written. Just innuendo no legal base. AG did’n file case don’t blame him.
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Mr Clean / November 4, 2016
Raj Rajaratnam languishing in prison in the US for manipulating the stock market in New York is a family friend of Mahendrans. So you can understand how this bunch of broad day light robbers got the idea to loot the Central Bank.
RW is shielding them and they are roaming all over with impunity. We cannot depend on Ranil or AG department for justice.We knew that Ranil will do this before President will act on the matter so that matter could be killed as most of the readers have indicated in their comments above. As the head of the Executive branch of good Governance President should take over the responsibility of pursuing the matter. The civil society should agitate compelling him to appoint an all powerful Presidential Commission with judicial powers to punish and recover the money robbed of found guilty. President himself said that the politicians should keep away from this matter. Let him prove that he meant what he said. Let the civil society and all other fair-minded people who love this country keep on agitating until correct steps are taken by the President to punish the wrong doers.
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srinath.gunaratne / November 8, 2016
I hope our new governor the special adviser to the Galleon group, has learned some valuable lessons not to follow the other members of the clan!
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Wise Donkey / November 4, 2016
Ranil had an excellent reputation before the scam. He was even described as ‘whiter than white’. Now, his ‘mango friend’ has ruined it splashing mud on him and has done a permanent damage to his reputation.Nobody can whitewash Ranil from this stinking affair. Whether he is involved or not, the greatest mistake he did was defending the wrong doer tooth and nail. Poor Ranil lost his reputation a vast majority has lost its confidence on him.
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Park / November 4, 2016
If the Attorney General has already done a report, why should COPE have a subsequent inquiry, that too base their inquiry on the Attorney General’s report? This is waste of time and money? What additional value has COPE provided other than politicize the Bond issue to an extent no one knows who is right or wrong. The reasons for my assessment are:
1.Most members of COPE had predetermined idea before conducting the inquiry and arriving at a decision that there was fraud committed. This is illegal.
2.One report was presented to the Parliament by COPE and after submitting the report the Chair of COPE claims that there are two reports one without and the other with the foot notes in one report as he has divided the members of the COPE into two groups in the report.
3.The Chair of COPE had no business talking to the media, for any reason regarding the inner workings of the COPE before a report was presented to the Parliament. This was done when the Chair mentioned to the media that UNP was threatening the AG.
4.Did the Chair of the COPE get permission from the members to divide the group into two in the final report.
In my opinion COPE has not contributed anything we did not know or was not there before from the earlier investigations and the only contribution COPE made was to politicize the Bond issue and dilute the legal validity of it.
COPE has to be dissolved and another organization should be formed made of members of the public (educated, professionals and experienced)to investigate all Government and Private enterprises where there has been a loss to the Government. COPE members being politicians they can never be neutral investigators. The new organizations should have a large number of members from which a group can be selected depending on the investigation in hand.
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Soma / November 4, 2016
So that your rogues are saved?
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Park / November 5, 2016
You are sadly mistaken. I have never said rogues are not there, just read again. But I am challenging the sanity of a COPE inquiry. Please read again.
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justice / November 4, 2016
To be fair, Ranil did not expect the behaviour of Mahendran and his son-in-law, when he installed the former as head of Central Bank.
But now, he must allow justice to take its course in the ‘bonds’ affair.
If he does not, he is not fit to continue as PM.
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harry hatton / November 5, 2016
Justice ,how do you know what Ranil expected when he appointed this dubious character ( riding on a British education and silly accent) ?
Look at the evidence. Would Mahendran and his crooked son in law done something of this magnitude without the connivance of the Prime Minister ?
What was Malik Samarawickrema doing at the Central Bank that day ?
How did Arjun Aloysious get such a huge loan from the Bank of Ceylon ( another primary dealer) in a few hours ?
It looks like the whole racket was planned by the Prime Minister.
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thondamannay / November 4, 2016
PARK – Its not the Attorney General. It was the AUDITOR GENERAL
Apart from the COPE Report there are (04) other valuable reports.
(1) The first COPE Report by D.E.W.Gunasekera
(2) The Auditor General’s Report
(3) The leaked Central Bank Report.
(4) (03) Royal stooges (Lawyers) report where it was reported that Mahendran has told them Ranil was aware of the Bond deal.
Also, Hansard record will state Ranils speech to the parliament soon after the Bond scam that he has ordered the change of proceedure on the sale of Bonds.
WHY RANIL TOOK THE CENTRAL BANK UNDER HIS MINISTRY???
WAS THIS BOND SCAM “PREMEDITATED’ ?
In addition to the COPE Report, these (04) Reports are adequate for the Attorney General take an early decision as there is already a head start..
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Park / November 5, 2016
Its a typo yes Auditor General , thank you. Please read my comments again, I am not saying that illegal activity took place, all I have said is the sanity of appointing COPE to investigate. There was no reason why COPE should have gone through this that through just to review the Auditor General’s report that is already there. COPE has no teeth, it cannot force anything other than present a report to the Parliament. So why waste money and time. COPE is a useless exercise.
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mara / November 5, 2016
fools rush in where angels fear to tread
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Jay / November 6, 2016
Both are scratching their back. Yahapalanaya is a myth and will never come to our motherland. Need a complete expunge of the current breed of politicians.
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Ambedakar / November 7, 2016
Yahapalanaya is a dead skunk; I don’t want to talk about it. Period.
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