The Central Bank (CB) is still to take a decision on the sixth forensic audit into the Treasury bond scam after handing over the five completed forensic audit reports to Attorney General and parliament, CB Deputy Governor H.A. Karunaratne told a media conference in Colombo on Thursday.
The procurement of the sixth forensic audit has been carried out by a Cabinet-Appointed Consultant Procurement Committee; he said adding that the committee has identified an audit firm with a global practice and international experience in forensic auditing.
The cabinet approval is essential to start the auditing process and the CB has to complete certain procedures towards this end, he revealed.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, last January, told the then Chairman of Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) JVP lawmaker Sunil Handunetti that it was the responsibility of the Central Bank to take action against those responsible for Treasury bond scams.
Replying to a question raised by a journalist, Senior Deputy Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe noted that the bank has taken disciplinary action against several officers whose involvement in the scam had been highlighted in the
Presidential Commission report.
Some of them had been removed from service, he said adding that a disciplinary inquiry is being carried out against several other officers whose names were transpired in the forensic audit reports.
The CB has already taken corrective measures to prevent the reoccurrence of such transactions in the future, he disclosed.
The Monetary Board will hold discussions with the Attorney General to instigate legal action against officials accused in the forensic audit reports, he said.
Responding to another question, Dr. Weerasinghe said that they are bound to pay the forensic auditors all expenses in accordance with contractual agreement as they have fulfilled all the deliverables.
Therefore the question of as to whether their findings could be agreeable or not will not arise in making the additional payment of Rs.36 million as per their request in accordance with the contract, he added.
Out of the six forensic audits initiated, five forensic audits have been completed at a cost of Rs. 275 million (approximately).
(LI)