AG’s Dept. promises to bring ex-CB Chief Mahendran to SL

• Tells Special High Court Govt. has taken steps to return Mahendran from Singapore under extradition law 
• Court served indictments under 23 charges, gives bail to all eight accused, foreign travel restricted 
• Trial postponed for 24 July    

By T. Farook Thajudeen

Deputy Solicitor General Priyantha Nawana yesterday asserted before the Special High Court Trial-at- bar that the Government had taken steps to return to Sri Lanka former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran from Singapore under extradition law.

He further said that the Colombo Magistrate Court had already issued a Blue Notice and a Red Notice to Interpol for the arrest of the accused and the Government was discussing matters with the Singapore Government to return Mahendran to Sri Lanka.

He made this assertion before the Special High Court yesterday during the trial against Arjuna Mahendran and his son-in-law Perpetual Treasuries Director Arjun Aloysius and seven others. The eight accused were presented before Court on receipt of summons.

However, the first accused Arjuna Mahendran and the 10th accused Ajahn Gardier Punchiheva were not present in Court yesterday. The DSG said that the 10th accused Ajahn Gardier Punchiheva is presently residing in Singapore and to issue warrants for his arrest. The Court issued summons on the 10th accused to be present for the case on 24 July.

The three Judges Sampath Abeykoon, Sampath Wijeratna and Champa Janaki Rajaratna also released eight accused who were present in court on Rs. 1 million cash bail with two other sureties for Rs. 2.5 million on each accused. Their foreign travels were restricted and they were further ordered that one of the sureties for the accused should be a close relation of the accused.

The Court also served the indictments to the accused who were present in court yesterday.

The Attorney General had indicted 10 accused namely Arjuna Mahendran, former Deputy Governor Lakshman Paththinige Samarasiri, Perpetual Treasuries owner Arjun Joseph Aloysius, its Directors Jeffery Joseph Aloysius and PTL CEO Kasun Oshadhee Palisena, Directors Pushya Mithra Gunawardane, Chitta Ranjan Hulugalla, Muthuraja Surendran and Ajahn Gardier Punchiheva. 

They were indicted under 23 charges for violating the Public Property Act and Registered Stocks and Securities Ordinance for causing losses to the State with questionable bond transactions. Which includes criminal misappropriation and criminal breach of trust under the Penal Code, Public Property Act, and the Registered Stocks and Securities Ordinance thereby causing losses to the Government at the auction held on 27 February 2015 amounting to Rs. 688 million.

The charges had been framed on evidence revelled during the inquiry conducted by the Bond Commission appointed by the President and also on the material disclosed at the CID investigations. The AG had listed 115 witnesses and 236 documents as productions for the case. 

The case was taken up before the Special High Court on a request made by the Attorney General Dappula De Livera requesting the Chief Justice to file indictments against the 10 defendants over the Central Bank bond scam before the Permanent High Court trial-at-Bar, further trial postponed for 24 July.