May 05, Colombo (LNW): The parliamentary debate over the $2.5 million treasury fraud turned explosive today, with opposition MPs unleashing a blistering political assault on Deputy Finance Minister Anil Jayantha and Finance Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperema even as Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe quietly left the country.
Throughout the heated session, Suriyapperema and Jayantha bore the brunt of opposition fury over the scandal that has already claimed the life of a senior public servant. Lawmakers demanded answers on how lower-level officials were suspended while top Treasury leadership remained in their posts.
At the last COPF meeting, Suriyapperema had testified that the first seven fraudulent payments were executed by the Central Bank under Governor Weerasinghe. But with the Governor conspicuously absent from the accountability chain, opposition frustration boiled over.
UNP parliamentarian and former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake repeatedly accused Weerasinghe and the CBSL of operating “above the law,” hiding behind Central Bank independence granted under the IMF agreement.
Amid this critical juncture global conflict, escalating living costs, rupee depreciation, and a multi-million dollar fraud Central Bank sources confirmed to LNW that Dr. Weerasinghe has left the country on a personal visit to Dubai, though media widely reports he has traveled to Australia to visit family.
The CBSL has yet to formally address its role in the fraud.