Call for removing Central Bank from PM’s purview

The Central Bank should be brought under the Finance Ministry immediately in view of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s alleged involvement in the Treasury Bond scams, executive director of Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) and Centre for Human Rights (CHR) Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon said.

Tennakoon said that the Presidential Commission report on the Treasury bond scam had been published several months back and the President should have taken away the control of Central Bank from the Prime Minister.

“The Treasury bond scam happened because the Central Bank was removed from the Finance Ministry’s purview. If a massive fraud takes place in a government institution, the Minister in charge is responsible. However Ranil Wickremesinghe still controls the Central Bank. Thus, the President needs to take the Central Bank away from the PM.”

Tennakoon added that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) was protecting those involved in the Treasury Bond scam. It had ensured that the debate on the Treasury Bond scam would not be taken up in Parliament by demanding a Tamil translation of the bond commission report. “We respect the national language policy. But, using that policy to protect crooks is deplorable.”