Contacted Singapore PM for Mahendran's extradition - President

President Maithripala Sirisena disclosed yesterday that he had personally spoken with Singapore’s Prime Minister concerning the extradition of Central Bank bond scam suspect former Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran. The President said all the respondents in the Central Bank bond scam case have been identified and while some have been arrested, international arrest warrants have been issued to apprehend those who fled overseas.


The President was addressing a gathering of the public and Maha Sangha at the Pelanda Rajamaha Viharaya, in the Kalutara District, yesterday afternoon after ceremonially declaring open the new Dhatu Mandiraya, the Library and the Dharma Mandiraya of the temple. The President further said that the probe on the CB bond scam was continuing unabated.

Commenting on the Easter Sunday terror attacks the President said all those connected to the attacks have been apprehended and ongoing investigations have unearthed clear evidence against them.

He observed that, according to the country’s laws, they too may get the capital punishment.

The President pointed out that according to the country’s criminal law capital punishment can be given to those found guilty of murder, a conspiracy against the state and an act of terrorism. President Sirisena said he believed that the efforts to bring an act before parliament to annul the capital punishment could be an attempt to prevent death penalty being imposed upon those who killed over 300 people and wreaked unprecedented carnage on April 21.

The President also declared that he rejects with disdain any attempt to insult the Maha Sangha irrespective of the status of the person behind such an attack. Insulting the Maha Sangha cannot be accepted and it does not matter how high the status of the person behind such an attempt, he stressed.