State Minister of International Trade Sujeewa Senasinghe says that technology is so advanced today that phone calls can be made using any number – be it the President or Prime Minister’s phone number- to another phone. “Therefore not all these reports are accurate,” he said. 

However, the State Minister says that he is not saying he did not call the owner of Perpetual Treasuries Limited, Arjun Aloysius. He stated that he called Mr Aloysius in order to obtain information and get clarifications on what he did not understand. 

“After the second COPE committee, I did not make a single phone call to him. After a week or two later I told him that there are certain recommendations against him and therefore I should not talk. After that I had no conversation with him.” 

He stated that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has all that information and that they are prepared for any investigations into that matter.        

Senasinghe stated that similar to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe he too had volunteered to appear before the commission and testify and respond to any questions or speak about any phone conversations.   

But the commission is saying that the phone conversations are not relevant them and that it is not in their mandate, he said. “Then why did they allow it? This was released to sling mud right?”