Sri Lanka faces legal barriers in extraditing Arjuna Mahendran

Sri Lanka is facing significant legal obstacles in its attempt to extradite former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran from Singapore. Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala confirmed that a formal legal barrier exists, partly due to the absence of a bilateral extradition treaty between the two nations.

Mahendran, who is a Singapore citizen and has reportedly changed his name, is wanted in connection with a high-profile Treasury bond scam. He was indicted in 2019 for allegedly causing losses exceeding US$11 million to the state. Previous requests for his extradition were declined by Singaporean authorities on the grounds that they did not meet the requirements of the Singapore Extradition Act.

In a broader effort to apprehend fugitives, Minister Wijepala noted that Sri Lankan authorities have obtained 236 Interpol Red Notices. Since the current government took office, 110 of these notices have been issued, resulting in the return of 66 individuals to the country for legal proceedings.