Pan Asia Bank Deputy Manager Richards Arun Dias, at the Treasury Bond Commission yesterday, said he ‘envisaged’ losing his job following a media report regarding the bank’s involvement in transactions with the Perpetual Treasuries Limited and the EPF on February 27, 2015.
Dias said he was contacted by Dhammika Perera, the chief shareholder of the the bank regarding the concerned matters.
He said the same fear led him to meet Arjun Aloysius on June 30 at his residence.
Dias said two other officers who were in the Cooperate Banking Department and the Margin Trading Department of the bank were recently sacked due to certain decisions they have taken under the instructions of former Chairman of the bank Nimal Perera. “It also added to my fear,” Dias said.
Dias was replying to a series of questions directed by Arjun Aloysius’ lawyer President’s Counsel Kalinga Indratissa yesterday at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry Investigating into the Treasury Bond Issue.
Explaining the incidents regarding Dhammika Perera contacting him, Dias said: “My former Chairman Nimal Perera had gone to meet our CFO Dhammika Perera. Mister Dhammika Perera had then wanted me to speak with him.”
Indratissa PC asked Dias “Who is Dhammika Perera?” to much amusement of those who were present at the hearing. Aloysius’s lawyer said: “…the only Dhammika Perera that I know of, is one of my colleges practising in Kurunegala.”
Dias explained that the ‘Dhammika Perera’ he was talking about is the famous business tycoon who owns the largest of shares of the Pan Asia Bank.
Dias said that Nimal Perera who had gone to meet Dhammika Perera, made a telephone call to him and later on, handed over the phone to Dhammika Perera. The conversation must have taken place prior to June 30.
Dias said Dhammika Perera spoke to him in Sinhala and asked: “Richie, have you (the bank) done anything (regarding the questioned transactions) violating laws?”. Dias said he replied as, “No sir, we have done nothing beyond law.”
Dias said that he told Dhammika Perera that “my staff or I have not even drunk a cup of tea (Sinhala expression can be interpreted to mean ‘haven’t taken a penny out’ in English) from them.”
Justice Jayawardena said, “that would be until you had a glass of water at Aloysius place when you visited him!”, which was followed by laughter from the audience. Dias said he was worried about his job security since the ‘whole bank’ spoke about the issues relevant to transactions where the bank played an intermediary role to EPF and the Perpetual Treasuries Limited.
Dias said Secretary to the CEO of the bank told him that the CEO is worried about the transactions which tarnish the reputation of the company.
Justice Jayawardena asked if Dias knew why Dias’s CEO was upset about, to which a clear answer was not given.
Justice Jayawardena asked if Dias knows as to when Dhammika Perera and Nimal Perera ‘fell out’. Dias said it would have been in September 2016.
However, Justice Jayawardena said according to information provided on the ‘fell out’, it has taken place on March 2017.
Justice Jayawardena asked if the sacking of the earlier mentioned bank officers took place before or after the ‘fall out’. “What matters is when did they (Dhammika and Nimal Perera) split and when Dias started worrying. I want to find out a reason for Dias fearing for his job,” Justice Jayawardena said.
Dias said his colleagues were fired from their jobs in April 2017, which means sacking took place immediately following the ‘split’.
Justice Jayawardena asked Dias if the two officers, Kamoor Sourga and Udaya Tudawewatta, were fired due to certain decisions they have taken regarding loan facilities, under the directions of former bank Chairman Nimal Perera. Dias answered in affirmative.
Dias said the bank’s top management, after inquiring in to the issue regarding the bank’s intermediary role, extended their full support to him.
Pan Asia Bank lawyer Nihal Fernando PC is to examine the same witness before the commission today.