Bond Scam: Court released Mahendran, and others from Public Property charges

Former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, and nine other people who were accused in the 1st Bond Scam case of 2015 were released from the charges filed under the Public Property Act, by the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar on Tuesday (11).

The court ruled that it cannot proceed with the charges filed under the Public Property Act by the Attorney General against the ten people accused of committing the Bond Scam of 2015.

The verdict was delivered by a 2/3 majority in the court.

The case was called up in the presence of Justices Chamath Morias, Damith Thotawatte, and Namal Balalle.

President's Counsel Gamini Marapana had filed a preliminary objection with the court noting that charges cannot be charged against a company under the Public Property Act and noted that Perpetual Treasuries Limited which was also named as an accused is a company and not a person.

After the court accepted the objection, the defense counsel also argued that as a majority of the other accused at Directors of Perpetual Treasuries Limited, it applies to them as well, and therefore the charges under the Public Property Act filed against them cannot be taken forward.

Thereby, the Justice of the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar ordered for all other charges to be taken up for a trial, leaving the charges filed under the Public Property Act, on the 16th of December 2022.

The case was filed against the 10 accused under 23 counts for committing the Bond Scam on the 27th of February 2015, and causing a loss of Rs. 688 Million to the government.

The accused are:

Ex-CBSL Governor Lakshman Arjuna Mahendran
Ex-CBSL Deputy Governor P. Samarasiri
Perpetual Treasuries Limited
Arjun Joseph Aloysius
Kasun Palisena
Geoffrey Joseph Aloysius
Pushpa Chandra Gunawardena
C. Ranjan Hulugalle
Muthuraja Surendran
Ajahn Gardiye Punchihewa