AG directs Police to record statement from former President and PM over bond scam

• AG also directs Acting IGP to record statement from Paskaralingam, ex-People’s Bank GM
• CBSL functioned under Wickremesinghe during period in which bond scam took place

The Attorney General yesterday directed the Acting IGP to record statements from four persons, including former President Maithripala Sirisena and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in connection with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) bond scam.

The others from whom the AG directed statements to be recorded are former Advisor to the Prime Minister M. S. Paskaralingam and the former General Manager of People’s Bank.

Wickremesinghe, who also functioned as Minister of Policy Planning and Economic Affairs from January 2015 onwards, had the CBSL under his purview during the period the bond scam took place.  Paskaralingam served as an adviser to Wickremesinghe during the period he was in office.

Former Governor of CBSL Arjun Mahendran, aka Harjan Alexander, and nine others face charges of criminal misappropriation, market manipulation, cheating, and insider dealing in relation to two bond auctions held in February 2015 and March 2016.