Treasury bond scams: SJB drags Lotus Tower into ‘conflict’ as SLPP attacks ‘footnote’ gang

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) recently alleged that the Lotus Tower has been leased to a Singaporean company, affiliated with former Governor of the Central Bank, Arjuna Mahendran, accused of perpetrating Treasury bond scams in Feb. 2015 and March 2016.

The accusation was made by Badulla District lawmaker, Chaminda Wijesiri, in Parliament, during a question and answer session.Responding to the former UNPer’s allegation, Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga said that he was not privy to the Lotus Tower affair.

Maj. Gen. (ret.) Prasad Samarasinghe, Chief Executive Officer of the Colombo Nelum Kuluna Management Private Company, said that only the second floor of the Lotus Tower had been leased to Creative Design Private Company of Singapore at USD 1.42 mn annually.

Denying Mahendran’s alleged involvement in the transaction, Maj. Gen. Samarasinghe said an initial payment had been received and the Singaporean company would bring in the investor to pave the way for launch of operations by April 2023.According to the one-time Military Spokesman, the two parties had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) pending the finalization of the lease agreement.

MP Wijesiri, who represented the UNP at the time of the Treasury bond scams, and Urban Development and Housing Minister Ranatunga, clashed over the alleged culpability of UNP/SJB members in the Central Bank fraud.

Minister Ranatunga pointed out that those who tried to scuttle investigations into Treasury bond scams, by inserting footnotes into the second COPE report, were in Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa’s camp today.In the 2015 bond scam, the Central Bank offered Rs. 1 bn worth of 30-year Treasury bond, carrying a fixed interest rate of 12.5% to the market, but ended up selling bonds to a value of Rs. 10 bn. This was 10 times the original offer.

Minister Ranatunga quoted former UNP/SJB MP Ranjan Ramanayake as having said that many UNP/SJB lawmakers had received parliamentary polls campaign funds from Mahendran.

MP Wijesiri said that he couldn’t accept the Chief Government Whip’s refusal to answer questions regarding Treasury bond scams on the basis the matter was before courts. Lawmaker Wijesiri said that the State Finance Minister disclosed the truth a month ago in Parliament.SLPP MP Wasantha Yapa Bandara, who had been in the Chair at that time, asked MP Wijesiri to pose his question.

MP Wijesiri: “Those responsible for Treasury bond scams have been identified. You are still in government because Ranil Wickremesinghe is the President. Treasury bond scams caused the ruination of the country. At that time, you alleged the involvement of the incumbent President in Treasury bond scams that bankrupted the country.”

Minister Ranatunga: “In terms of Standing Orders 36 (E), we cannot discuss a matter dealt in a court of law. Therefore, I will respond according to the Standing Orders. The person (SLFP leader Maithripala Sirisena) who served as the President at that time of the Treasury bond scams now represents the Opposition (contested Polonnauruwa on the SLPP ticket).

Several MPs inserted ‘footnotes’ to sabotage the COPE report issued by the then JVP MP Sunil Handunetti. Dr. Harsha de Silva, Sujeewa Senasinghe, Ajith P. Perera, Harshana Rajakaruna, Hector Appuhamy, Ashok Abeysinghe, Abdul Maharoof, Wasantha Aluvihare and Ravindra Samaraweera are members of the footnote gang. The majority of them are with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. We accept that the incumbent President, too, was in that group as the then Prime Minister. We said so then. We won’t deny that now.”

MP Wijesiri: I believe the Chief Government Whip wants to say the footnote gang perpetrated the Treasury bond scams. We thought you would take legal action in this regard. Thieves are with thieves. Lotus Tower has been leased to a Singaporean company, affiliated with Arjuna Mahendran.”

Minister Ranatunga: “Those who had received money from Arjuna Mahendran’s son-in-law Arjun Aloysius (of Perpetual Treasuries Private Ltd) utilized such payments for election campaigns. They are in your group. I didn’t say so. Ranjan Ramanayake did. Ramanayake claimed all electoral organizers received campaign funds from Arjun Aloysius. Such payments will be proved in court of law. We are not involved with Arjun Aloysius. Therefore, I do not know about the Lotus Tower affair. I do not know whether these accusations are made taking cover behind parliamentary privileges.”

Sri Lanka’s efforts to convince Singapore to repatriate Singaporean national Arjuna Mahendran has failed so far.