16 Facts About Arjuna Mahendran

Lakshman Arjuna Mahendran is a Sri Lankan-born Singaporean economist and banker.

Arjuna Mahendran is a former Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, having been appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena in January 2015 and served until the end of his term on 30 June 2016.

Arjuna Mahendran was the former Managing Director of HSBC Private Bank, Chief Investment Officer of Emirates NBD as well as chairman and Director-General of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka.

Arjuna Mahendran was educated at Royal College, Colombo in Sri Lanka and at Balliol College, Oxford, he gained a MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

Arjuna Mahendran joined the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, he had served as a senior economist before moving into investment banking in Singapore going on to serve as managing director and Chief Investment Strategist-Asia at HSBC Private Bank.

Arjuna Mahendran was responsible for driving research and providing in-depth analysis of markets in the Asia Pacific.

Arjuna Mahendran led the analytics team in interpreting market economics and developing investment strategies for HSBC's clients in the region.

Arjuna Mahendran slammed inefficient loss making state-owned enterprises as they have created losses in state banks while giving a "free ride" to private banks as they exploit significant lending spreads by the government banks and proposed to make public enterprises more efficient so that the banking system can be more efficient and make the economy grow faster.

Mr Arjuna Mahendran stated that he grew perturbed that officials of The Central bank had advertised the auction for a very Low figure of Rupees one billion worth of government bonds when the government needed over Rupees 13 billion on the date of the auction and Rupees 172 billion in March 2015.

Arjuna Mahendran denied any wrongdoing in the controversial bond auction and asserted that he was ready to face any inquiry to prove his innocence.

Arjuna Mahendran said he had been made a victim due to his own transparency.

News reports state that Mr Arjuna Mahendran has challenged the order through the International Police.

On 28 June 2019, a case was filed at the Permanent High Court Trial at Bar by the Attorney General against Arjuna Mahendran accused in the Central Bank Treasury Bond Scam and lost multi billions from Sri Lankan's public money.

On 16 June 2020, the attorney general of Sri Lanka alleged that, according to Interpol, Arjuna Mahendran had changed his name to Harjan Alexander.

However, one of the publications that stated this subsequently carried a reference to Mr Arjuna Mahendran using his original name, casting doubt on the authenticity of the quote.

Mr Arjuna Mahendran published a rebuttal denying any change of his name alleging, inter alia, that the Sri Lanka Attorney General was instructed to sensationalise the case in the media on the instructions of the President.