Sri Lanka’s President should ask the COPE report on CB Bond: Former COPE Chairmen

July 3, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s President Sirisena should read the COPE report on the much talked bond scam and take actions if necessary, former Chairman of the inquiry committee DEW Gunasekera said.

“If President wants he can get a copy of this report from the secretary of the parliament and see whether there is anything that needed to be done, and if so take necessary actions,” DEW Gunasekera told reporters on Friday.

“I am requesting the President Maithree to use his executive powers of the presidency,”

“This is something that cannot be politicizes, this is about Island’s financial discipline, this is something affects the whole country.”

A Committee on Public Enterprise (COPE) appointed a sub committee comprising 13 Government and Opposition legislators on May 22, this year to look into the controversial Central Bank Bond issue, following the Speaker’s ruling on a motion submitted by UPFA Parliamentarians seeking the dismissal of Central Bank Governor.

Gunasekera said the report which has 447-pages is complete and has testimony of over 40 people.

Auditor General, two chartered qualified bankers, economists and lawyers had contributed to this report.

However he says, the report could not be presented because the parliament was dissolved and there were objections from four members out of eight member who presented on the parliament on the day it dissolved.

He added that the report could have been table the following week if not dissolved.

“I request all the political parties to include presenting of the cope report and act accordingly into their election manifestos as a first thing when a new parliament comes on September,” Gunasekera said.

“You (Public) have to tell that this cope report to be tabled and investigate and take necessary action, when the new parliament comes,”

“This is a responsibility of the new government.”