The report of the Presidential Commission which investigated the treasury bond scam and the report on the commission which investigated large scale fraud, were presented to Parliament today.
It is reported that former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake has not been implicated in the controversial bond transaction that was investigated by the Presidential Commission.
According to reliable sources, the commission has put forward only two recommendations pertaining to former Minister Ravi Karunanayake.
Charges of Bribery?
The Presidential Commission recommends the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption to investigate further whether the former minister derived certain benefits from the lease payments made by a company owned by Perpetual Treasuries.
"As stated in earlier in Chapter 24, we recommend that the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption should consider whether Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, MP, while he was Minister of Finance, derived a substantial benefit from the lease payments made by Walt and Row Associates (Pvt) Ltd (which is an Associate Company of Perpetual Treasuries Ltd and which is owned and controlled by the same persons who own and control Perpetual Treasuries Ltd) for the lease of apartment occupied by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, MP and his family and, if so, determine whether appropriate action should be taken against Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, MP, under the Bribery Act."
Allegations of perjury?
The Presidential Commission also recommended that the Attorney General inquire into the veracity of the statements given by the former MP to the Bond Commission and if found to be guilty, to prosecute the former minister under Section 179 and or Section 188 of the Penal Code.
"As stated earlier in Chapter 24, we also recommend that, the Hon. Attorney General and other appropriate authorities consider whether some of the evidence given by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, MP before us is shown to have been incorrect and, if that is the case, whether Mr. Karunananayake should be prosecuted under Section 179 and/or Section 188 of the Penal Code or other relevant provision of the Law, read with Section 9 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act No. 17 of 1948."
Former Minister Karunanayake, during his questioning at the Bond Commission, denied any intimate knowledge of Arjun Aloysius and said he had met him "once or twice at family gatherings".
However, evidence unearthed during the proceedings of the Bond Commission revealed that former Minister and his family had spoken to Arjun Aloysius over 750 times in total during the period February 5, 2015 to June 20, 2017.
Section 179 of the Penal Code
Section 188 of the Penal Code relating to 'perjury'
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