President’s silence on Treasury scandal raises concerns

The President’s failure to address the controversial Treasury incident during May Day celebrations remains a problematic issue, according to the Chairman of the Free Lawyers Association, President’s Counsel Maithri Gunaratne. He made these remarks during a press conference held in Hatton this morning.

Details regarding the transfer of 2.5 million US dollars from the General Treasury to a third party first emerged last week. This revelation sparked significant public controversy, leading to the suspension of four officials from the Ministry of Finance. Among those suspended was Ranga Nishantha, an Assistant Director of the Department of External Resources.

He was discovered dead under suspicious circumstances in the garden of his home on the 30th. Initial investigations suggested suicide as the cause of death, though cut injuries appeared on several parts of the body. The Ministry of Health subsequently appointed a medical board comprising four specialist forensic doctors to conduct further investigations into the matter.