Central Bank Governor Dr Indrajith Coomaraswamy is a personality who works straight, Finance State Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said.
The minister made this comment responding to a question raised by a journalist at a press conference at the President’s House in Fort yesterday, with reference to Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayke’s statement on Thursday that ‘the CB Governor was an attendant at the ICU when the country’s economy was at the ICU during former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s period.’
The State Minister said, “We have full confidence in the CB Governor. He has an unblemished history and career that nobody could question. He works honestly,” Abeywardena said.
Asked on the future course of action with regard to the COPE report on the CB Treasury Bonds issue, the State Minister said Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala informed him that Parliament would take up an adjournment debate in that regard on either January 23 or 24.
“It would be sent to the Attorney General after it was passed by Parliament. The Prime Minister in his capacity as the subject minister, could refer the report to the AG and he has already done it, but the formal practice is to send it through Parliament,” he said.
State Minister Abeywardena declined to respond to journalists questions on the controversy surrounding the Volkswagen plant, stating that he was not aware of the issue to the core. The State Minister remained mum despite repeated questions by the journalists on the subject.