The Finance Ministry has with immediate effect suspended the services of senior banker and Bank of Ceylon General Manager D.M. Gunasekera.

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said that there are several reasons for the suspension of Gunasekera and that misuse of authority, fraud and corruption are some among them.

It is learned that one of the reasons for his suspension has been the opening of a Bank of Ceylon branch in the Seychelles.

Appointed as the General Manager of the Bank of Ceylon in 2013, Mr. Gunasekera is a senior banker who has met the necessary professional qualifications.

During a recent media conference at the Finance Ministry, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake had stated that there were complaints that the Bank of Ceylon had not offered the interest rates promised by the new government to the deposits of senior citizens and told Gunasekera to provide an explanation to the media.

However, Mr. Gunasekera said that these reports were false and that the Bank of Ceylon was in fact offering the interest rates to the deposits of senior citizens as promised by the government.