Ready to face corruption probe: Lankan PM Wickremesinghe

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today said that he would appear before a presidential probe panel on the alleged Central Bank Bond scam which the Opposition has termed as the biggest financial fraud in the country's history.
Wickremesinghe said in a statement that since references have been made on him at the Special Presidential Commission, he was prepared to go before the Commission and make the necessary explanations.
The Opposition has accused the prime minister of being behind what they termed as the biggest financial fraud in the country's history.
Wickremesinghe has Central Bank of Sri Lanka under his charge.

It has been alleged that a primary dealer of the bank had benefited from insider information on two Central Bank Bond issued in February 2015 and March 2016.
Wickremesinghe said that since a majority of people had voted for his government in 2015 eyeing transparency and good governance, his intent is to keep that action forward.

In 2015, Wickremesinghe handpicked Arjuna Mahendran, a Singaporean national of Sri Lankan origin, to head the bank.
The primary dealer company of Mahendran's son-in-law was accused of making large profits in Bond issues with the use of insider information.
President Maithripala Sirisena ordered the presidential probe panel after a public outcry leading to the removal of Mahendran from the position.

Then foreign minister Ravi Karunanayake was forced to resign for links with the primary dealer firm while two other Wickremesinghe's ministers gave evidence before the probe panel.