COPE report on CB Bond issue:

UPFA to reveal details

by Uditha kumarasinghe

Former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. G.L. Peiris said there was no legal barrier to prevent the media from revealing the contents of the COPE report on the controversial Central Bank Bond issue, as the Colombo District Court had not extended the restraining order earlier obtained by Deputy Minister of Justice Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe.

Addressing a media briefing at Opposition Leader's office in Colombo yesterday, Prof Peiris said the UPFA intends to disclose all the details in the COPE report to the people.

"We would clearly expose who the crooks are. Other than talking about crooks over the past six months, the incumbent government has not done anything on behalf of the country. It has been clearly revealed who is held responsible for the biggest financial fraud that took place in the country," he said.

Peiris accused the incumbent government of making a big hue and cry about a Right to Information Act, while at the same time making every possible attempt to prevent information from being channeled to society.

"The COPE report on the Central Bank Bond issue was a very important document formulated under the chairmanship of D.E.W. Gunasekara, so the people have a right to know its entire details," he said, adding, "We don't think Deputy Minister Senasinghe would resort to such a course of action without consulting Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe."

Prof. Peiris alleged that it was the Prime Minister who had instructed Senasinghe to obtain that restraining order. "Do these people have a genuine desire to ensure the right to information of the people?" he queried, accusing the Prime Minister of attempting to sweep the COPE report under the carpet by seeking a restraining order.

Highlighting the arrest of an LTTE operative in Tamil Nadu, he warned the country's national security was at great risk.

"At present, the LTTE has launched a huge fund raising campaign in European countries. Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran is also engaged in a massive effort to pressurise the government to withdraw troops and military camps from the North. In order to realise his goal, Wigneswaran levels various baseless allegations against the Security Forces," he said.

Claiming said one minister was forcing the government to immediately release all LTTE suspects from the Anuradhapura prison, while another had submitted a Cabinet paper to utilise government funds to pay compensation to LTTE cadres, he said the war victory achieved after 30 years of terrorism was at great risk of paving the way for the LTTE to raise its ugly head once again.