by Shamindra Ferdinando
Prof. G.L. Peiris
Alleging that former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had been unfairly harassed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), former External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris challenged the CIABOC to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the Central Bank bond scam.
In a brief interview with The Island, Prof. Peiris accused the CIABOC of carrying out a special project at the behest of UNP-led yahapalanaya government. “Tarnishing the image of war veteran Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is obviously high on their agenda,” Prof. Peiris said. MP Peiris said that CIABOC was going after the Rajapaksas with a vengeance.
The CIABOC will record former Defence Secretary’s statement today (April 23) regarding on-going investigations into Avant Garde maritime services private limited as well as Mihin Lanka.
Noting that the CIABOC had recorded Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran’s statement recently, Prof. Peiris alleged that as at April 8, 2015, the country had suffered a staggering Rs.42.5 bn loss due to bond issue scam.
In spite of a three-member committee appointed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe blaming an eight-member tender board for the controversial transaction, instead of the Governor, the incumbent government couldn’t absolve himself of the blame for what Prof. Peiris called mother of all frauds in Sri Lanka.
The committee said that the Governor had no direct role in deciding to accept bids over and above the one billion rupees stipulated in the 30-year bond tender and accept up to 10 billion rupees.
The three-member Committee that looked into the 30-year bond issue consisted of attorneys at law Gamini Pitipana, Mahesh Kalugampitiya and Chandimal Mendis
Prof. Peiris said that the Upper Kotmale hydro power project cost Rs 23 bn- 19 bn less than the losses suffered due to Central Bank bond scam up to April 8, 2015. The cost of the Galle-Matara highway was estimated at Rs 25 bn-Rs 17 bn less than the losses suffered due to Central Bank bond scam, the former minister said.
Responding to a query, MP Peiris said that JKH recorded profit to the tune of Rs 6 bn or one-seventh of the losses incurred by the Central Bank would reveal the enormity of the losses caused by those responsible for bond issue. Prof. Peiris said that even the losses suffered due to the hedging deal during the previous government were estimated at Rs 11.7 bn.
Prof. Peiris declared that the CIABOC and other agencies tasked with investigating into what the state-run media dubbed as high profile cases of corruption had targeted politicians and officials. The MP said that 36 relatives of an official who had held an important administrative position were among those questioned in the recent past.
Prof. Peiris accused Director General of CIABOC Mrs Dilrukshi Dias Wickremasinhe of seeking to finalize certain selected investigations. Responding to another query, Prof. Peiris said that Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa had in no uncertain terms advised the CIABOC of the procedures that should be followed in case members of parliament were summoned.
MP Peiris expressed serious concern over certain interested parties giving deadlines to CIABOC to complete investigations. State apparatus shouldn’t be under any circumstances used by the party in power to achieve its objectives or help it in political projects, MP Peiris said.
The government was going after those who could stand up to its agenda, Prof. Peiris said, adding that the SLFP would fight back.
Courtesy:The Island