The Prime Minister was responding to a query raised by Parliamentarian Dinesh Gunawardena whether it is legal for Arjun Mahendran to serve as the Central Bank Governor.

The Prime Minister said that Arjun Mahendran is a native of Sri Lanka. He grew up in Sri Lanka and also had his academic studies in the island. He is also an intellectual who loves the country. He first did a job in the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. He served in this Bank for eleven years. He resigned from the Central Bank when the Alliance Government assumed office in 2004.

He had to leave the country because of the assumption of office by the Rajapaksa regime It was for this reason that Arjun Mahendran had to take up a job in Singapore. There are no obstructions for foreign citizens to work in Sri Lanka or engage in some business.

Restrictions have been imposed in the Constitution for foreign citizens to serve only as people’s representatives. But the previous administration had gone beyond this process.

The Prime Minister queried as to what the Rajapaksa regime had done. It secured the services of French national Dominique Straus Khan, who was well known as a woman abuser for the Central Bank.