AKD Pledges to Bring Arjuna Mahendran Back to Sri Lanka
In a bold statement made during a public meeting in Kiribathgoda on August 18, 2024, National People’s Force presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake vowed to bring Arjuna Mahendran, the former Central Bank Governor, back to Sri Lanka to face justice. Mahendran is wanted under a red warrant issued in connection with the infamous Central Bank bond scam.
Dissanayake’s remarks came in response to a challenge from President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who, during a rally in Anuradhapura, urged Dissanayake to address the issue.
“I saw Ranil Wickremesinghe asking a question in Anuradhapura. Anura, answer this. We don’t want to insult, we are all getting old,” Dissanayake said, with a smile.
He went on to say that Mahendran, who fled to Singapore after the scandal, had implicated Wickremesinghe when questioned by the COPE Committee, stating that the former Prime Minister advised him on the transaction. Dissanayake promised that, under his leadership, Mahendran would be extradited to Sri Lanka, and that legal action would follow, hinting that Wickremesinghe might also be held accountable.
This strong stance on holding those involved in the Central Bank fraud accountable has intensified the political debate as the presidential election approaches.
