Probe Hamilton Bank & Rajapaksas-Cabraal deal: Patali

President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Governor of the Central Bank should conduct an immediate and formal investigation into the case filed against Sri Lanka by the Hamilton Bank in St. Kitts & Nevis and its potential links to the Rajapaksas and former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivaard Cabraal, MP Patali Champika Ranawaka said.

Speaking to ‘The Island’ newspaper, he said the Hamilton Reserve Bank, which holds more than $250 million of Sri Lanka’s 5.875% International Sovereign Bonds due July 25, filed the suit in June in a New York federal court seeking full payment of principal and interest.
   MP Ranawaka also said that the US Government has also intervened in the case due to the suspicions that have arisen regarding this bond transaction.

He said that ‘International Financial Time’ has reported that a representative of Hamilton Bank reached an agreement with the then CBSL Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal in the purchase of these bonds.

“The Central Bank should reveal for how much these bonds were sold in the secondary market, and had it been agreed that the people would pay for these bonds with the dollars that were saved to purchase fuel, electricity, medicine, and if that’s the reason why the bank bought these bonds? There is a need for a fair investigation as to how much commission the people of our country received from this sale,” he said.

MP Ranawaka further said that there is a doubt about the settlement of a similar bond of USD 500 million in March 2022.