Bond scam: Ten more volumes sent to Speaker

The Attorney General’s Department has sent Speaker Karu Jayasuriya ten more volumes of reports of the Commission of Inquiry that probed the Central Bank bond scandal.

This was conveyed by Speaker Jayasuriya at a party leaders meeting held in Parliament on Tuesday.

Following a request at the meeting to seek the AG’s view whether these could be released to the MPs, Parliament sources said Speaker Jayasuriya had spoken to AG Jayantha Jayasuriya on Thursday. Barring a few, he had advised that the rest could be released.

Those the AG had not recommended to be released are instances where inquiries are under way or potential inquiries are to begin.

Former Minister Ravi Karunanayake who represented the United National Party (UNP) at the meeting urged that all reports be released together. Hence, party leaders will decide later this month what to do, after consulting the AG.

At the same meeting, Speaker Jayasuriya declared he had received a letter from UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera. He has said that though they were now seated in opposition benches, they were elected to Parliament on the UPFA ticket where the Betel Leaf was the symbol. Hence they could not sustain their demand to pick a member as Leader of the Opposition.

Speaker Jayasuriya also informed the party leaders of the decision by the UNP parliamentary group not to call for a pay increase for MPs. Some members at the meeting noted that the issue of MP’s pension should be addressed in the light of difficulties some of them face.