SIRISENA CHALLENGES WASANTHA TO FILE CORRUPTION CHARGES
Rejecting emphatically the allegations of financial misdeeds made by the convener of the ‘Voice Against Corruption’ and the politburo member of the JVP, Wasantha Samarasinghe on Tuesday against his family and himself, former President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday threw an open challenge to Samarasinghe to file corruption charges against him and his family in a court of law if possible.
Responding to Daily Mirror at a news briefing held at the party office last morning, Sirisena said the main purpose of those unfounded allegations was to disrupt SLFPS attempt to form an all-party interim government and restore political and economic stability in the country.
“I met JVP leader Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake last morning in Parliament and I asked the basis of Mr. Samarasinghe’s allegations. Anura told me that he was also in confusion about the charges levelled against me. He said he asked about it from Wasantha. Wasantha has told Anura that he had documentary evidence to prove the allegations. That is why I challenge him to file a case against me and my family on bribery and corruption if he has relevant documents,” Sirisena said yesterday.
Sirisena told the media that the allegations made by Samarasinghe that he, his son in law and children had been paid by the Perpetual Treasuries Ltd. (PTL), the prime suspect of the infamous Central Bank bond scam was a diabolical lie and he or his offspring had never benefitted from the PTL or any other establishment or individual
“When the Central Bank bond scam came to light it was me who took the initiative to delve into the depths of the fraud on the demand of the SLFP, the public and the civil society. Notwithstanding the heavy pressure from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the UNP against any action against the biggest financial misappropriation in the history of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, I took steps to appoint a Commission of Inquiry (COI) comprising Supreme Court judges,” Sirisena stressed.
“The COI did a good job and recommended to take legal action against those allegedly involved in the fraud. The Finance Minister of the Yahapalana regime was removed. When I paid an official visit to Singapore, I made a personal request to the Singaporean PM to take steps to repatriate the first respondent of the bond scam case, former governor of the Central Bank, Arjuna Mahendran who was absconding. But it was not to be probably because of the influence exerted by the Yahapalana government hierarchy. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe also appointed a Parliamentary select committee to sweep the bond scam under the carpet. I successfully brought the inquiry to the bond scam to an end successfully and instructed the Attorney General to file charges against the perpetrators. Besides, the
SLPP government would have taken forward the litigation on this fraud in a more vigorous and speedier manner but I can’t see any interest from this government to that effect,” Sirisena stressed.
He emphasized that even the SLPP government benefitted from his action taken against the suspects by using Rs.11 billion of assets of the PTL suspended and debited to the Central Bank by the Special High Court at Bar.
“It is indecent, unethical and malicious to frame unfounded allegations against me and my family when I took all measures possible under my power as the Executive President to go to the bottom of the bond scam and frame charges against them. Can anybody claim that the PTL offered me financial benefits after I did the most damage to their business and reputation and brought them before the law?” he asked.