What is the truth behind the sale of 38 tons gold?
Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, at the public rally at Balangoda, last week (19), reiterated that the Govt. is negotiating with a private company to sell 38 tons of gold in the custody of the Central Bank for a sum of Rs, 140 billion without Cabinet approval.

When the Opposition leader made this allegation earlier, the Govt. described it as a’blatant lie’. The President said , if there was so much as 38 tons of gold , he would use gold instead of concrete for the roads.

The Deputy Finance Minister of revenue , Ranjith Siyambalapitiya,Minister Amunugama, Cabniet media spokesman Minsiter Priyadharshana Yapa and many Central Bank officials stated that there was no necessity to sell the gold nor is the Govt. making any such preparations, contradicting Ranil’s allageations.
This gold haul was collected during the JVP insurgency in 1988-89 and immediately thereafter, the officials of the Central Bank has revealed upon inquiries, Opposition leader further added. This gold does not belong to the Central bank but to the Govt. and the people , and therefore cannot be sold without Cabinet approval , he observed..

The Central Bank Governor Ajith Cabraal however has categorically denied Opposition leader’s allegations