MPs seek names of BoC loan defaulters

Uditha Kumarasinghe, Irangika Range and Sandasen Marasinghe

Speaker of the House W. J. M. Lokubandara yesterday said in Parliament that it should be discussed at the Finance Ministry consultative committee to reveal the names of the loan defaulters who obtained more than Rs one million from the Bank of Ceylon (BoC).

The Speaker said the chiefs of the banks and the Attorney General could be brought to the discussion at the Finance Ministry consultative Committee.

The Speaker made this observation in response to a supplementary question raised by MP Ranaweera Pathirana with regard to an oral answer given by the Leader of the House, Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.

The Minister stated the amount defaulted from the Bank of Ceylon was Rs. 10,727 million, Rs. 11,735 million, Rs. 13,488 million, Rs. 18,176 million, Rs. 18,845 million, Rs. 21,827 million, Rs. 17,108 million Rs. 13,848 million, Rs. 12,495 million, Rs. 13,603 million respectively in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. MP Ranaweera Pathirana requested to reveal the names of the loan defaulters to the House.

The Leader of the House stated in answer that the Bank of Ceylon has informed that on the instruction of the Attorney General those names could not be revealed under the Bank Act.

Bimal Ratnayake stated that it was an infringement of Parliamentary privileges as the banks provide those documents to the COPE. Joseph Michael Perera, Laksman Kiriella and Anura Kumara Dissanayake also requested the Speaker to reveal the name of the loan defaulters.