By. Ashoka Peiris
If a suspect cannot be arrested, the police will arrest a close friend or relative of the suspect. But former President Ranil Wickremesinghe is still at large.
The Government yesterday reaffirmed its commitment to bringing back former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran to face trial over the infamous Bond scam.
Addressing the media, Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said that the government will take all the necessary measures to facilitate Mahendran’s return while acknowledging the legal challenges involved in his deportation.
Dr. Jayatissa said so while answering the questions asked at the press conference after the Cabinet meeting. He also told the media that although Mr. Mahendran is not physically present in the country, legal proceedings against him will continue.
Mahendran, a Singaporean, fled the country in 2015 with the help of the then rulers. He is a financial fraudster who has been wanted by the Sri Lankan government ever since the bond scam was exposed.
The Cabinet Spokesman recalled that former President Ranil Wickremesinghe had previously told Parliament that Mahendran had left Sri Lanka under the pretext of attending a wedding in Singapore.
Also, Dr. Jayatissa pointed out that the responsibility of ensuring Mahendran’s return will definitely be assigned to Mr. Wickramasinghe, who was the Prime Minister and Finance Minister at that time.
“He (Wickremesinghe) is also bound beyond a mere responsibility in the Bond scam in terms of the sudden change in the process as well as the amount. Therefore, Wickremesinghe is a key figure in the Bond scam investigations and legal proceedings,” Dr. Jayatissa claimed.
The Government has faced mounting pressure to expedite the process, particularly as it was one of the key promises made by the NPP Government to bring the culprits involved in the Bond scam to books, while February also marks a decade since the scandal, which led to significant financial losses for the country.