News

The Rajagiriya flyover considered to be the longest in the country will be declared open by the President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ravi Wickramasinghe tomorrow (08).

While construction of the flyover was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018, steps were taken under the guidance of the President to complete the construction work 11 months ahead of the schedule for the convenience of the public.

The flyover which has been constructed at Welikada junction in Rajagiriya will provide a long-term solution for the heavy traffic congestion in the at Sri Jayawardenapura Mawatha, Borella, Battaramulla and Rajagiriya areas.

The completed flyover comprises of four lanes is 533 meters in length and 21.4 meters in width.
The Rajagiriya flyover will be the first of its kind in Sri Lanka built by filling concrete surfaces on metal.

Source : Sunday Observer

The government has agreed to increase the number of Safari jeeps entering the Yala National Park to 600 per day following a request made by the Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Mahinda Amaraweera.

After considering many requests from both environmentalists and conservationists alike to reduce the number of vehicles allowed to enter the park, the government decided in November last year to restrict the number of vehicles to 500 per day. 250 vehicles were allowed to enter in the morning session and another 250 vehicles were allowed to enter the park or the evening session.

It is reported that the government was forced to reverse the measure as many tourists had been sent back due to the restrictions imposed on the vehicle limit.

Former Minister of Finance, Ravi Karunanayake claims that the facts presented in the Bond report are false.

He claims the President has not been given the full report on the issue. He also said the President only mentioned a few points in the report and according to those the Prime Minister and himself have been absolved from any wrongdoing.

The former Minister made this statement during an electoral meeting held in Kotahena.

Karunanayake was also quoted as saying that majority of the benefits of the current government are with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

According to him, UNP members are facing various injustices as a result.

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The Colombo Fort Magistrate, Lanka Jayaratne, issued an open warrant today (05), to arrest former Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States Jaliya Wickramasuriya for failing to appear before Court.

Former Ambassador Wickramasuriya was arrested by the FCID for in November last year for misappropriating USD 330,000 out of USD 6.6 million allocated for purchasing a building for the Sri Lankan Embassy in US.

The Acting OIC of the Sapugaskanda Police is to be temporarily transferred on the recommendation of the Minister of Law and Order & Southern Development, Sagala Ratnayake. He is to be transferred temporarily over the tussle which is said to have occurred between him and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Western Provincial Councillor Asoka Ranwala recently at the Sapugaskanda Police station on Thursday.

The Minister has made the recommendation with the permission of the Commissioner of Election Mahinda Deshapriya after receiving a preliminary report regarding the issue from the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD). The report has identified shortcomings of both the parties and therefore the transfer has been recommended till the full investigation into the incident is completed.

JVP Western Province Councilor Asoka Ranwala was arrested on Thursday night for allegedly threatening the acting OIC of Sapugaskanda Police station.

According to the police, Ranwala had visited the police station to inquire about an arrest of youth who was allegedly assaulted by the police. He had allegedly demanded the police to release the youth and when the acting OIC refused the request he is said to have threatened the senior officer

Ranwala alleges that he was assaulted by the OIC when he questioned about the youth.

Former Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake has requested for a copy of the bond commission report handed over to the President on January 3.

The Minister says he was singled out in the special statement made by President Maithripala Sirisena on the issue and castigated by the President which was there after widely reported in the media. The Former Minister has addressed the letter to the Secretary to the President, Austin Fernando.

Transparency International Sri Lanka's (TISL) election observation arm the Program for the Protection of Public Resources (PPPR) has called on the government to ensure that the opening of the Rajagiriya Flyover is carried out in compliance with regulations issued by the Elections Commission of Sri Lanka to ensure that development projects are not used for electioneering purposes.

If the Rajagiriya flyover is to be opened ahead of the February 10 local government elections, it should be done without the participation of politicians to remain in compliance with the Commission's regulations the organization said.

In a statement released by the organization, they pointed out that Circular No. LAE/2018/4B issued by the Elections Commission of Sri Lanka on 28th November 2017 as per provisions of Article 104 of the Constitution, states clearly that "the state should refrain from holding events such as festivals, exhibitions and opening ceremonies, which are paid for with state funds, as such events have been used during past elections by politicians to voice their political opinions possibly causing grievance to some candidates while promoting others"

The PPPR is said to fear that the opening of the Rajagiriya Flyover could be used in similar fashion as a platform to canvass votes and calls on the competent authorities to take measures which ensure expeditious delivery of vital infrastructure, whilst ensuring compliance with election laws. The organization has also called for the police to act in accordance with this circular and strictly enforce election laws.

Former Governor of the Central Bank Arjuna Mahendran is said to have left the country after the release of the Bond Commission report.

 Sources claim he has left to Singapore, the country where he is a citizen and that according to the report for former governor has in the least committed an offence under the Public Property Act.

 Further, he is said to have left the country as most government servants and secretaries were arrested and remanded under the Public Property Act and he feared the same fate.

The commissioning of Moragahakanda-Kalu Ganga Multi-Purpose Development Project will coincide with the completion of Mahaweli Development Programme, Secretary to the President Austin Fernando said.

A national ceremony has been organised on January 8 to mark the landmark occasion with President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Chief Guests. The Secretary briefing the media at the Media Ministry auditorium yesterday, said the Ministers, MPs, ambassadors and foreign dignitaries, public officials and farmers have been invited to the solemn occasion.

The President will release water from the Moragahakanda reservoir at the auspicious time of 11.20 am to mark the completion of the project which commenced on January 25, 2007.

The project was expedited in the last three years under the guidance of the President.

The event will be followed by another ceremony at Polgolla, Kandy at 3.30 pm with the participation of the President and the Prime Minister to mark the completion of Mahaweli Development Programme.

The benefits and milestones of the Mahaweli project that extended for 40 years will be commemorated during the event. The President and Prime Minister will address the gathering on the occasion.

The two ceremonies will be telecast live on ITN and Rupavahini. A cycle race has been organised from Moragahakanda to Kandy parallel to the event.

Source: Daily News

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka from January 4th to 6th, 2018. This is the first time in fifteen years for a Japanese Foreign Minister to visit Sri Lanka.

This visit is aimed at further consolidating the “Comprehensive Partnership” between Japan and Sri Lanka based on previous visits by Sri Lankan leaders; by the President Maithripala Sirisena in May 2016, and by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in April 2017.

Strengthening cooperation and collaboration with Sri Lanka is important for the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific area based on the rule of law.

During his visit, Kono will pay courtesy calls on the President, and Prime Minister respectively, as well as have a meeting with Tilak Marapana, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, in order to discuss bilateral relations, regional and international matters.

Source : LBO

President Maithripala Sirisena as the Commander in Chief has ordered the postponement of the controversial defence deal where the government of Sri Lanka is planning to buy a Gepard 5.1 Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) via alleged local intermediator of the Rosoboronexport. The order has come in light of the current local political circumstances, reliable sources in the Presidential Secretariat said.

However, no one in the ruling alliance has made a public statement on the issue so far.

Meanwhile, despite the serious shortcomings of two servings ships bought from India recently, the building of a third a third Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel is also underway at the Goa Shipyards, India.

According to the reliable sources, the third ship will be delivered in a few months.

However, “Everybody is discussing the Russian ship, but no one is concerned about the Indian ships while these deals are the most corrupt,” a senior serving military officer was quoted as saying.

“Nobody is held accountable when officers experience shortcomings of these ships bought from India. But, it is clear those behind the scene have earned millions of dollars out of these deals,” he added.

According to the Sri Lanka Navy, the Sri Lanka Navy’s first Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV), built at the Indian shipbuilding facility, Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL), was commissioned at the Eastern Container Terminal, port of Colombo last year.

The leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF) Wimal Weerawansa claims the huntsmen of the Bond Commission has misfired a second time and missed the mark yet again.

 According to Weerawansa the revelations against innocent people who have no connection to the scam is an attempt to conceal the real thieves.

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Ravi the sacrificial lamb!

Meanwhile, the bond commision is now being accused of concealing information of others involved in the scam while making former Minister Ravi Karunanayake the only accused.

Executive Director of the Campaign for Free & Fair Elections, Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon has expressed his concerns on the matter in a released statement.

“It is clear that the President has simply re-disclosed the name of Karunanayake while hiding the names of many others from active politics who are involved in the issue,” he said.

According to him the bond scam cannot be an act of a single politician but have been committed with the direct and indirect help of others.