Arjuna Mahendran responds to excerpt from Lalith de Mel’s autobiography

Apropos the article in your newspaper published on Sunday December 31, 2023 quoting the autobiography of Lalith de Mel, I confirm that I was Chairman of the BOI from December 2001 to April 2004 when I voluntarily resigned after the change of government, a fact de Mel omits to mention.

BOI heads are routinely changed when governments change in Sri Lanka so I really don’t see the point de Mel tries to make about my succeeding him in the post. The mention of my name in the headline which is referred to as ‘famous’ in the text, was therefore superfluous and inserted perhaps to add a bit of sensationalism.

De Mel was re-appointed to the BOI in 2004 but lasted only a few months in the post when he was reported to have been replaced according to media reports at the time (pls see https://www.sundaytimes.lk/040613/index.html).

Arjuna Mahendran
20, Cuscaden Road,
Singapore.