Government backtracking on bringing Arjuna Mahendran back to country, says Champika Ranawaka

01-Sep-2026

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There are no legal impediments in Singapore to bringing former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran back to Sri Lanka. Instead, the Government is backtracking on bringing him back because of the statement he has made, Democratic Republican Front leader Champika Ranawaka said.

He made these remarks while speaking to the media on August 31, 2026, regarding the Government's programme to arrest those accused of corruption.

He further said:

We have no objection to the Government's programme to arrest those who have committed theft. However, we oppose doing so merely for political theatre. Just as the Government is taking action to arrest thieves, it should also take action against those responsible for bankrupting the country.

Before the war with the LTTE, our country had been progressing economically. However, the economy began to decline due to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) insurrection during 1987 and 1988.

Subsequently, the country declined due to the 30-year war waged by the LTTE. Had these two conflicts not taken place, our country would have developed into a developed nation.

But are there cases against anyone who created unrest in the country and caused damage to it? We ask whether there are cases against anyone in the JVP.

After Prabhakaran, Kumar Pathmanathan, who had been described as the leader of the LTTE, is today in Kilinochchi under the protection of the Air Force. There is not a single case against him.

However, some ordinary members of the LTTE are still being held in prisons.

The Government had also stated that it would bring former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, who has been accused in connection with the Central Bank bond scam, back to the country. But after six years, the Government is now claiming that there are legal difficulties in bringing him back because he has changed his name to Alexander.

There are, however, no legal impediments in Singapore to bringing Arjuna Mahendran back to Sri Lanka. Therefore, there is no truth in the Government's claim that it is unable to bring him back.

On the contrary, Arjuna Mahendran had provided strong evidence regarding the manner in which he was pressured to increase the bond account and by whom that pressure was exerted. The person concerned is currently with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. That, he said, was the reason why Arjuna Mahendran was not being brought back to the country.