Fmr. CCC Chairman requests COPE members to discharge duties independently
Former Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chandra Jayaratne has requested the UNP members of the Committee on Public Enterprises to discharge their duties in an independent, professional and open-minded manner.
In an open letter to the United National Party members of COPE, Chandra Jayaratne notes that the memories of all those who canvassed for the January 8 regime change and in the general elections, are not short nor fading.
While reminding that transparency, good governance, rule of law, justice, anti-corruption and waste control were the main platform themes for the presidential and general elections, Chandra Jayaratne recalls that these members of COPE, when in the opposition agitated against irregularities which includes:
* A Select Committee in parliament acting in haste, on the dictates of their leadership and unfairly determine that the then chief justice was guilty and should be impeached.
Chandra Jayaratne says that it is the fervent hope of those who supported the UNP into office, that these recent memories and commitments will be the guiding principles when taking a decision within the COPE Committee on the bond issue.
The former Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairman went on to say that it is not the duty of COPE to declare a verdict of guilty or not guilty, but to merely satisfy whether the weighted evidence points to the essential need for the committee to refer this issue to the relevant law enforcement agency, to investigate and determine whether a serious offence has taken place in respect of bond issues of February 27, 2015 and March 29 and 31, 2016.
Chandra Jayaratne says it is the firm belief of civil society members that the bond scams of March 2016 are unpardonable, unacceptable and cannot be condoned by any one in society with a just and fair mind, due to issues including;
* The change in auction system being unilaterally imposed by the governor, without Monetary Board approval, merely on a decision and announcement by the prime minister.
* The governor ignoring the effective ownership control by his son-in-law of the Perpetual Group and failing to discharge obligations as per the Governance Code of the Central Bank in relation to conflicts of interests and related party transactions.
and
* It being clear that the dealer of the EPF may have a direct hand in the scam execution.
Chandra Jayaratne requests the UNP members of COPE that they desist from any action that risks the future of this country; its future generations, as well as be cognisant of the current socio political economy; the image internationally of the country risked to be damaged permanently; and above all, the impressions the voters will have.
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