Bond scam trial against Mahendran and others set for pre-trial conference in January
COLOMBO – The Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar has scheduled a pre-trial conference for January 28, 2027, in the case against former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran and several others over the Central Bank bond scam, nearly seven years after indictments were filed.
The case was taken up on Monday (2) before a three-judge bench comprising High Court Judges Priyantha Liyanage, P. A. T. Bandara and Nuwan Dhammika Dissanayake.
Among the defendants who appeared in court were Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) directors Arjun Aloysius, Geoffrey Aloysius and Kasun Palisena, former Central Bank Deputy Governor P. Samarasiri, Muthuraja Surendran, Chitta Ranjan Hulugalle and P. Gunawardena.
The court decided to proceed with the case in the absence of two defendants, former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran and Ajahn Gardiye Punchihewa.
Counsel appearing for several defendants informed court that they had not received certain documents relating to the case. After considering their submissions, the bench directed Senior State Counsel Oswald Perera, appearing for the Attorney General, to take steps to provide the outstanding documents before the next hearing.
The court subsequently fixed January 28, 2027, for the pre-trial conference.
The Attorney General had filed indictments against Mahendran and the other defendants under the Offences Against Public Property Act, alleging that they caused a loss of Rs 688 million to the government through the Central Bank Treasury bond auction held on February 27, 2015.
–ENCL
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