Sri Lanka faces a legal barrier in securing the extradition of former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran from Singapore, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said, adding that authorities were examining available legal avenues to bring him back to the country.
Wijepala said Mahendran, who is residing in Singapore as a Singapore citizen, had changed his name.
“There is a legal barrier in extraditing him to this country,” Wijepala said. However the authorities are examining available legal avenues, he said.
The minister said proceedings related to the Central Bank bond case meanwhile were continuing.
Singapore has previously declined Sri Lanka’s request to extradite Mahendran, saying the request did not meet the legal requirements under Singapore’s Extradition Act.
Mahendran is wanted in Sri Lanka in connection with legal proceedings stemming from the Central Bank bond transactions.
Mahendran had been indicted in June 2019 before the Permanent High Court at Bar for causing losses of over US$11 million to the state.
Meanwhile, Wijepala said authorities had obtained a total of 236 Interpol Red Notices in efforts to bring suspects wanted in various criminal cases back to Sri Lanka for legal proceedings.
Of those, 110 Red Notices were obtained after the current government took office, he said.
The minister said 66 wanted individuals had already been brought back to Sri Lanka, while investigations were underway into 97 others. Authorities have identified the locations of 39 individuals, he said.
One more wanted individual is expected to be brought back to Sri Lanka next week, Wijepala added. (Newswire)