Former President Maithripala Sirisena said he put his signature on 21,000 papers to ensure the extradition of former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran.

Addressing a press conference in Polonnaruwa yesterday, Sirisena said he signed those papers for three days as he was determined to prosecute the former CB Governor for the Bond Scam.

"The Presidential Commission which I appointed probed the matter deeply and came up with a comprehensive report. It is the most talked-about Presidential Commission this country has ever seen. I promptly submitted it to the Attorney General's Department to initiate law enforcement," Sirisena added.

The former President said he appointed Mahendran as the Governor of the Central Bank at the insistence of former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

"I did not want a foreigner as the Central Bank Governor. But, I also did not want to run into issues with the Prime Minister merely two weeks into the new government.," Sirisena added.