The United National Party is to appoint Deputy Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe to the COPE committee probing the Treasury bonds issue, informed party sources told Asian Mirror.

To make way for Senasinghe, the party's representative to the committee, M. Velukumar said he would resign from the committee. 

A day before the decision was made, the UNP members representing the COPE committee were summoned for a special meeting at the Temple Trees. 

Velukumar's resignation is believed to be a direct outcome of the Temple Trees meeting chaired by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. 

Senasinghe is an open supporter of former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran and he went on to write a book, last year, defending the Treasury bonds issue. Therefore, it is widely believed that senasinghe would make a desperate attempt to dilute the Treasury bonds probe which involves former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, a close ally of the Prime Minister. 

Meanwhile, COPE Chairman, JVP Parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti told Asian Mirror that summoning his party members of the committee for a special meeting at Temple Trees was an "unacceptable act" by the Prime Minister.