The extradition request pertaining to former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran who is ‘wanted’ in connection with the Central Bank bond scam case has been forwarded to the Singapore Government by the Sri Lanka High Commission in Singapore, Attorney General’s Department sources confirmed yesterday.
The coordinating officer to the Attorney-General, State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne told news media that the prosecuting authorities were hoping to expedite Mahendran’s extradition from his Singapore refuge.
On last August 9, the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar bench issued a warrant written in English through the Interpol for the arrest of former Central Bank Governor Arjun Mahendran. He is currently evading courts by residing overseas in connection with the Central Bank bond scam case.
The Attorney General had earlier sought a warrant in terms of Section 63 of the Criminal Procedure Code, since there were reasons to believe that the first accused Mahendran had absconded or would not obey the summons. The Attorney General had provided reasons in writing through an affidavit.
Criminal indictments have been filed against former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, former Bank Deputy Governor P. Samarasiri, Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL), the PTL beneficiary owner Arjun Joseph Aloysius, PTL Chief dealer Kasun Palisena, Chairman of Perpetual Treasuries Limited Jeffrey Joseph Aloysius, PTL directors Pushya Mithra Gunawardena, Chitta Ranjan Hulugalle, Muthuraja Surendran and Ajahn Gardiya Punchihewa.
According to the indictments, all ten accused have been charged with conspiracy to commit criminal misappropriation in respect of treasury bonds to the face value of Rs.10.058 billion and Mahendran and Samarasiri have been charged with criminal breach of trust in respect of Treasury Bonds to the face value of Rs. 10.058 billion resulting in a loss to the government of Rs. 688,762,100.
Former Deputy Governor P. Samarasiri is accused of abetting the former Central Bank governor Arjuna Mahendran to commit criminal breach of trust in respect of Treasury Bonds. The PTL is accused of insider dealing and criminal misappropriation in respect of Treasury Bonds to the face value of Rs 5 billion. Mahendran, Samarasiri, Aloysius, Palisena and the director board of PTL are accused of abetting PTL to commit insider dealing and criminal misappropriation.
The Charges have been presented under the Public Property Act and Registered Stocks and Securities Ordinance. The Attorney General has named 115 individuals as prosecution witnesses and further listed 236 documents as production items. The supporting evidence in the form of court productions is understood to number over 1 million pages of documents.
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