Sri Lankan lawmakers exchange blows amid debate

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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankan lawmakers have exchanged blows in Parliament amid a debate over alleged corruption in a bond issue that has marred the reputation of a government elected on a platform of good governance.

The brawl erupted Wednesday after opposition lawmakers protested in the chamber while Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was speaking on the bond issue.

A recent presidential inquiry report said the son-in-law of a former central bank governor had benefited from leaked inside information on the bond issue.

The former central bank governor was a confidante hand-picked by Wickremesinghe for the position.

The inquiry report said the former governor’s son-in-law had made a quick profit of $72 million while the loss to the state was around $55 million.