Feb 19, Colombo: The Colombo Permanent High Court has ordered that the case of the Central Bank bond scam against ten suspects, including former Central Bank Governor Arjun Mahendran, be taken up on March 18.

The case was filed by the Attorney General during the last good governance government, charging all defendants under the Public Property Act with conspiracy to commit criminal misappropriation in respect of Treasury Bonds to the face value of 10.058 billion Rupees and Criminal Breach of Trust in respect of Treasury Bonds against the 1st and second accused and causing a loss to the government to the sum of 688 million Rupees.

The defendants include Lakshman Arjuna Mahendran, former Central Bank Deputy Governor Paththinige Samarasiri, Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL), director Arjun Joseph Aloysius, CEO Kasun Oshadhi Palisena, chairman Geoffrey Joseph Aloysius, directors Pushyamithra Gunawardena, Chitta Ranjan Hulugalle, Muthuraja Surendran and Ajahn Gardiye Punchihewa.

The case was taken up before a three-judge bench comprising justices Champa Janaki Rajaratne, Damith Thotawatte and Namal Balalle today.

Senior State Counsel Wasantha Perera, who appeared for the Attorney General at the time, stated that Additional Solicitor General Priyantha Navana and Deputy Solicitor General Parinda Ranasinghe, who are prosecuting the case, were unable to appear in court today due to personal difficulties and asked for another date to hear the case.

Former Central Bank Governor Arjun Mahendran, who has been named as the first accused in the case, and Ajahan Gardiya Punchihewa, who has been named as the 10th accused, did not appear in court when the case was taken up today.