Weerathunga and Mahendran still elusive | Sunday Observer

Weerathunga and Mahendran still elusive

25 March, 2018

Despite arrest warrants being issued on Udayanga Weerathunga and Arjuna Mahendran, via Interpol, no progress has been made in locating the whereabouts of both men, a senior official at the Attorney General’s Department confirmed to the Sunday Observer. An open warrant was issued by the Fort Magistrate on Udayanga Weerathunga, former Ambassador to Russia, earlier this week, wanted by the CID

for investigations into alleged financial scams relating to the purchase of several MIG aircraft from Ukraine, during the time of the past regime.

“The Internationally Wanted Persons Section of the Dubai Police has been informed by Interpol that Udayana Weerathunga is a wanted person by the Sri Lankan authorities. However, no progress has been made in locating him to date as he is not at his registered address,” he said.

According to information received, Weerathunga has not left the UAE through lawful channels, although whether he has left the country surreptitiously or is underground, is yet to be confirmed.

The UAE authorities are still on the lookout for him and have concluded that he has not checked into any registered hotel nor used his credit cards for any transaction.

Meanwhile, former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran still remains wanted as the authorities have failed to locate his whereabouts as well.

Mahendran is wanted for failure to appear and make a statement to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) regarding the Central Bank Bond Scam. An arrest warrant was issued for his arrest earlier this month by Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayarathne.

Commenting on the arrest warrant issued on Mahendran, legal bigwigs were seen commenting last week, that it is not possible to bring down the former CB Governor owing to the lack of extradition laws between Sri Lanka and Singapore.

However, according to the AG’s Department, if Mahendran is found in Singapore there still remains the ability to bring him down for further investigations.

“First and foremost he needs to be tracked down. Although there is no specific extradition agreement between the two countries, all 48 Commonwealth countries have a general agreement on extradition between any of the Commonwealth countries,” he said.

Comments