Special HC calls for AG's affidavit to issue arrest warrant on Mahendran

The Special High Court today (Jul 24) instructed the Attorney General (AG) to submit an affidavit stating the reasons to re-issue an arrest warrant on Arjuna Mahendran, a chief suspect in the bond scam case.

Previously, the AG had filed charges against eight suspects for causing massive losses to the government due to the fraudulent transactions which had been involved in the issuance of treasury bonds in 2015.

Indictments were then served on six suspects who were later granted bail. However, chief suspect and former central bank governor Mahendran and tenth suspect Ajahn Punchihewa were not present before court.

Accordingly, court announced that the facts to re-issue an arrest warrant on the chief suspect would be taken up for consideration on August 9. An INTERPOL warrant had been previously issued on Mahendran who has been absconding arrest in Singapore.

Further, court also said that the request made by the prosecution to issue summons on the tenth suspect Punchihewa who is also evading arrest in Singapore, would be considered on September 17.

A three-member judge bench hearing the case, also instructed the prosecutors to submit the indictments against the suspects in English and Tamil, since those languages were their mother tongue.

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