Aloysius’ PA claims ignorance; clueless on identities of RK and AM in texts

Perpetual Treasuries (Pvt) Ltd (PTL) Former Director Arjun Aloysius’ personal assistant Steve Samuel testifying before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the controversial bond issuance yesterday claimed to not know who the ‘RK’ and ‘AM’ referred to in text messages sent from his own phone might’ve been.

 The witness was questioned at length by Senior State Counsel Dr. Avanthi Perera who brought to his attention a number of text messages and emails sent by him to Aloysius from November 2016.

 The texts are as follows:

 “Update: Chairman, also meeting with Alex Lowel at 7.30pm today.” - Sent on 28 November 2016

 The witness agreed that it was sent by him to Aloysius.

 “Reminder: To request Hon PM and RK to get a copy of the Monetary Board meeting/papers need to be submitted today.” - Sent on the same day.

 Samuel claimed he received a call, from whom he could not recall, on the general line of PTL, whence he took down the message and texted it to his boss. He claimed ignorance on the identities of ‘Hon PM’ and ‘RK,’ insisting that he wrote down abbreviations as instructed and sent it verbatim to Aloysius.

 

“GM, Chairman. Hope you had a very good meeting with RK. Just update me when you and I can meet when you leave tonight. Home or at office.”

 

Samuel: Doesn’t know RK is.

Responding to a question by Commissioner Justice Jayawardena, the witness said: “I don’t know. He doesn’t tell me about his meetings. I have never gone to any of his meetings. I don’t sit in his office.”

 

“Steve, please remind me to talk to RK on two matters when I meet him tomorrow. 1. PPP unit setup and 2. meeting with PM tomorrow at 4 with US treasury.”

 

Samuel maintains he does now know who RK or PM might be. Nor does he know what PPP stands for.

 

It was pointed out to the witness at this point that in a statement given to the police, he had said he wasn’t sure, but perhaps the two acronyms had perhaps referred to the Prime Minister and Former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake but he did not know”

He responded that he cannot accept that, as nobody had told him that ‘Hon PM’ is the ‘Honourable Prime Minister.’

 

Aloysius is very erratic and reads fast, said Samuel, adding that his job was to simply take down the messages, including acronyms, read out to him.

 

A message sent on 06 November 2016, according to the Attorney General’s Department reads: “Reminder: Follow up meeting with Ravi Karunanayake at 9am.”

 

Samuel again claimed that he could not acknowledge that RK was the same person.

 

A text sent on 08 November: “Reminder: Next meeting at 7am with Ravi K,” followed by “Ravi K tonight” the next day.

 

A message sent on 17 November 2016 read: “Reminder: Meeting with RK at 8.30pm”

 

Samuel claimed ignorance on what the meetings were about.

 

Two more messages said: “Yes, I do have it on my notes for today. RK/to-do list,” and”Also we have the A Mahendran to-do list.”

 

Samuel claimed that A Mahendran referes to Anjali Mahendran, Former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran’s daughter. According to Samuel, he always referred to her, in writing, as A. Mahendran.

Another text: “Chairman, awaiting an update on to-do list for Arjuna M and RK.”

 

To this, Samuel responded that he wouldn’t know who Arjuna was in this case, as he wasn’t told and since he didn’t do any correspondence for the Former Governor.

 

“Legal letter to be delivered to Hon PM’s office.” - Message sent on 22 November 2016

 

Once again, Samuel said he had no idea who PM was or what ‘Hon’ meant.

 

Other messages sent in January 2017, according to Dr. Perera, are as follows:

 

“Reminder: Meeting at 10pm with RK and AM to-do list will be sent home”

 

“I’m just leaving office. I’m going to your flower road residence to deliver both AM/RK files and will try to catch Dilshad at the Ministry”

 

“Please place the note pertaining to your RK file”

“Also by any chance did you manage to locate this old RK file?”

 

Samuel claimed he had not been exposed to such files.

 

“Just saw you at the Ministry dashing into the elevator. Have a great meeting” - sent on January 03, followed by, on the same day,

“Good luck with RK meeting and I hope Mr. Arjuna has a good meeting too this evening.”

 

Samuel denied knowing who he had referred to as ‘Mr. Arjuna’. Whatever he is told, he said, he takes down.

 

 

“I saw Gov Kumaraswami and Lasantha at the Ministry waiting for a meeting with RK.”

 

“Then I saw Mr. Arjuna getting into the lift when I was stepping out at the ground floor.”

 

“As per Dilshad, there is no  London trip scheduled anywhere.”

 

The witness was unsure about the details.

 

Additional Solicitor General Yasantha Kodagoda at this point accused the witness of lying before the Commission, to which Justice Jayawardena said it was clear that Samuel knew who exactly he was talking about.

 

The Commission will take appropriate steps at that stage, he added.

 

However, Samuel insisted that he was not lying.

 

“I’m telling you all I know. I’ve acknowledged what I don’t know,” he said.

 

Three other messages referring to a Saman Indika Kumara were read out to the witness, but he denied knowing anything about him.

 

Justice Jayawardena then pointed out that Former Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) Chief Dealer Saman Kumara had figured prominently in the proceedings and asked the witness if he had not heard of him.

 

The witness claimed to not read the papers, but said: “I promise you, I didn’t know.”

 

He further said that he did not sit in the same office as Aloysius.

 

An email sent on 29 March 2017 read: “Meeting boss/RK/reminder - proposed auction for the week.”

 

Samuel claimed ignorance on the auction, and added that he had never been in the trade room of PTL and that he was not involved in treasury bond related activities of the company.

 

Attorney-at-law Chanaka de Silva, representing Former Governor Arjuna Mahendran referring to a message, read:  The Gov CBSL wants to talk to you. Please call and speak to Mercy to transfer the call.

 

Samuel said he had not sent that particular message. de Silva pointed out that it was whoever the Governor was on that date that had wanted to meet Aloysius.

 

“Reminder: Meeting with Gov CB at 3.30pm” - another message sent on 17 November, was again referring to the Governor on that day, said de Silva.

 

Appearing for Samuel, Attorney-at-law Jeewantha Jayatillake pointed to a message sent on 04 January: “Ravi Krishnamoorthy at 6.30pm.”

 

The lawyer asked the witness if Krishnamoorthy’s initials could not be RK.

 

The witness agreed, and reiterated that he had never maintained files under the headings AM and RK. (HK)