Here's How Ranil Is Going To Mess With COPE Committee Probe Into Mahendran (In Eight Steps)

July 06, 2016

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1) All UNP MPs representing the COPE committee were summoned for a special meeting at Temple Trees on Monday evening.

2) The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who instructed the MPs on how they should deal with the ingoing COPE committee probe into former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran.

3) A day after the meeting, the COPE committee members met for a session where they discussed matters relating to the Treasury bonds probe.

4) The meeting, suddenly, got heated up when the UNP members representing the committee started defending the former Central Bank Governor. A heated argument occurred between the UNP and non-UNP members representing the committee over Mahendran's matter and the meeting room turned into a mini battle field.

5) On Wednesday morning, UNP MP M. Velukumar informed Speaker Karu Jayasuriya that he would resign from the COPE committee.

6) It is now reported that the UNP would nominate Deputy Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe as a member of the committee, replacing Velukumar.

7) Senasinghe is an open supporter of Mahendran and he even went on to write a book, defending the former Central Bank Governor, last year. Therefore, the 'thinking' behind Senasinghe's sudden appointment to the COPE committee is quite evident.

8) It can safely be assumed that Senasinghe is tasked to be a 'destructive force' at COPE committee sessions and it would inevitably hamper the progress of the inquiry.