Steps will be taken to institute legal action in Singapore soon to extradite former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran. Legal experts also confirmed that it is not necessary for him to be arrested in Singapore before an extradition case is initiated, unlike in the case of Udayanga Weeratunga.
According to the domestic law in Singapore, an extradition case can be filed without the suspect being formally arrested; sources in the Attorney General’s Department told the Sunday Observer.
He said it was not necessary to arrest the person subject to extradition in Singapore. “In terms of Singapore Law, the arrest by Interpol is not a precondition for the processing of a request for extradition by the Singaporean competent authorities.”
He said that the person need not be arrested before a case is filed in the Singaporean court for his extradition.
Senior Deputy Solicitor General (SDSG) Haripriya Jayasundara informed Court on Thursday that documents covering five matters pertaining to his extradition were handed over to the Singapore Interpol on August 23. She said the case is being pursued as a matter of urgency.
The Interpol on May 9 informed its Sri Lankan counterpart that Arjuna Mahendran who is the first suspect in the Treasury Bond case was in fact in Singapore. Mahendran failed to appear in courts in response to the summons issued by Fort Magistrate, Lanka Jayaratne, hence an arrest warrant and an Interpol red notice in his name was issued in April this year. Singaporean authorities are yet to arrest the former Sri Lanka Central Bank Governor.
The AG’s Department has permitted the CID to hand over a copy of the arrest warrant, summary of evidence in the case heard at the Fort Magistrate’s Court, details of the charges against him and other details sought by Mahendran through Interpol.