News

A major media hype has been created over a minor incident at a rugby game in Welisara while trying to depict it as a serious fight, Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa has said. According to him, people are attempting to politicize the issue.

According to the MP tussles of this kind are common after rugby matches and the sport is not one such as Chess or Carrom.

The negative publicity is only unfair towards the game and its players he said adding that he is not affected by it.

Therefore the MP said he has lodged a complaint with the Police against those creating fake news in this regard.

The fight had occurred after a rugby game between the Sri Lanka Navy and CH & FC teams after the Navy won against the club represented by Yoshitha in Welisara recently.

Video

The rugby fight with Namal and Yoshitha Rajapaksa (Video)

The UK government’s development finance institution CDC has launched a new independent solar and wind generation company to focus on India and neighbouring South Asian nations.

Ayana Renewable Power, entirely funded by CDC, will develop “hundreds of megawatts” of generational capacity with a focus on India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar.

Managing Director and CEO of Ayana Renewable Power Shivanand Nimbargi said that “Ayana’s strategic vision is to create significant renewable power generating capacity across South Asia, complementing it with a development agenda which reaches out to communities near locations where such capacity has been created.”

As per the 2018 Blue-Green Budget unveiled last year by Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Sri Lanka intends to facilitate the diversification of the economy with the adoption of new and sustainable technologies.

Ambalavaner Sivanandan, a Sri Lankan who was a key activist and thinker in the struggle against racism in Britain has passed away.

Sivanandan who left Sri Lanka, for the UK following the anti-Tamil riots in 1958 passed away in his Potters Bar home North of London, a few weeks after his 94th birthday.

His widely read novel 'When Memory Dies', a three-generational saga of a Tamil family's search for coherence and continuity in a country broken by colonial occupation won the 1998 Commonwealth Writers' Prize in the Best First Book category for Europe and South Asia and the annual Saga award, given to first-time black authors.

He has also written widely on racism, capitalism, police brutality and black anti-racist struggle in Britain, with many of those essays appearing in his book, 'Catching History on the Wing'.

Sivanandan was one of the rare Sri Lanka Tamil immigrants who viewed the former colonial rulers of the western democracy, where he chose to live, as part of the problem than the solution.

He leaves behind his wife Jenny Bourne and Children Tamara, Natasha and Rohan.

Source : Journalists for Democracy Sri Lanka

The signing of the agreement for the stage II of 1990 Suwasariya Ambulance Service was held at Temple Trees under the patronage of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The MoU to expand the service was signed by Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Sri Lankan Deputy Minister for National Policies Dr. Harsha De Silva in Colombo on Wednesday afternoon.

The service will be operated with an Indian grant of US $ 15.2 million.

As per the MOU, Indian company GVK will provide 209 ambulances and train around 1300 Sri Lankan personnel in emergency health care.

Through Stage I, India had provided 88 ambulances at a grant of US $ 7.56 million for services in Western and Southern provinces.

The Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission says certain actions of the Sri Lanka Police have violated the human rights of the general public.

According to the President of the Commission, Prof. Deepika Udugama over a 1000 complaints have been filed against the Police with the commision during the first three quarters of the 2017.

These include cases of arbitrary arrests, imprisonment and torture she said.

"Over a 1000 complaints"

The commission is said to have received 249 complaints of torture, 323 regarding threats,298 complaints of arbitrary arrests during the said time period.

While majority of the complaints were against the Police, certain complaints were against intelligence officers operating in the North and Eastern provinces the commission said.

According to Udugama while the country has progressed in the area of human rights however issues of human rights violations by the Police continues to be an issue today.

“We have received a large number of complaints against the use of torture as an investigation method” she said adding that the Police have been given recommendations after the completion of investigations by the commission on certain complaints received.

 ''Police must be restructured''

Udugama says the commission receives complaints against the Police on a daily basis therefore calling for the restructuring of the Police force with the help of foreign experts.

The government is in fact set to restructure the Police under the consultancy of Police reforms expert Sir Hugh Orde.

The OIC of the Divulapitiya Police station was arrested on Wednesday (January 03) by the CID over the death of a suspect in October last year when he was in police custody in Divulapitiya.

12 Indian fishermen were nabbed along with two boats by the Sri Lankan Navy today near the Delft Island.

The apprehended fishermen were natives of Rameswaram district of Tamil Nadu, the Navy reported.

On December 31 last year, 13 Indian fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy near Gulf of Mannar in Rameswaram.

Earlier that month, 27 Indian fishermen were apprehended with five boats near Delft Island.

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 Tennekoon 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.

 Playing without a trump card!

“President playing a game of words”

Meanwhile positing a statement regarding the report Journalist Subhash Jayawardene had said while the report has not been published yet the President has presented the public with selected information allegedly taken from the report.

“It appears that the fate of a man playing without a trump card has befallen the President as well,” he said adding that according to the statement a large fraud has not taken place on February 27, 2015, with a mere Rs. 600 Million profit was earned.

According to him, the report fails to mention how Perpetual earned the undue profit while also failing to declare it as illegal earnings. He also expressed his doubts regarding recovering the loss due to the country not having adequate laws while new laws cannot be backdated.

While the governor's fault has been identified however the legal system is set to fail as he points out as the country has no laws about insider trading. According to him, the government will have to merely admonish Mahendran as a parent does to a child who had made a mistake.

The journalist while claiming he thinks the report is a mere farce he went on to say the President has played a game of mere words with the public.

The Bond Commission in its report has recommended that all bond issues since 2008 - 2015 should be investigated, President Maithripala Sirisena said today.

“As the Commission did not have the mandate to inquire into Treasury bond issues from 2008 to 2015, the Commission had not done that. However, Commission recommends that there should be an investigation into that period too” Sirisena said.

According to the President, the commission has recommended that the loss incurred by the government should be repaid by Perpetual Treasuries Ltd. and that both the main political parties have been taken to task by the report.

The President also announced that in the report the commission has asked for a court audit to be carried out on all bond issues since 2008 as it has identified possible irregularities during the processes.

Sirisena also announced that 17 reports received by him from the Presidential Commission to Inquire and Investigate into Serious Acts of Fraud and Corruption (PRECIFAC) has been handed over to the Attorney General for legal action and a further 17 reports will be handed over to him shortly.

 Prime Minister’s actions proper

 The Commission report had said that Prime Minister’s responsibility in the appointment of Arjuna Mahendran as the governor to the Central Bank was proper. According to the President, the Commission said the Prime Minister had made his statement in Parliament regarding the appointment of Mahendran believing in the facts presented by Mahendran and Samarasiri, especially on the promises made by Mahendran. “The Report also says that the Prime Minister should not have done that,” Sirisena said.

Loss of Rs. 11 000 Million

The President also said that Perpetual had made earnings of over Rs. 11 000 Million in an undue manner as found out by the commission. According to the President, the commission has recommended that costs of the commission and the loss incurred by the government should be recovered from Perpetual Treasuries.

The report had also stated that Perpetual Treasuries Ltd had made profits through illegal means with the involvement of Arjuna Mahendran, Bank officials and some outside individuals. It stated that senior officials of the Central Bank were also inactive before the former Governor of Central Bank, Arjuna Mahendran. The report also accused Mahendran of interfering to bond auctions through a system of incorrect and unconventional methods and that he is responsible for providing internal information to outsiders.

Both main parties accused

While stating that the commission was not appointed for any political advantage adding that both parties have been taken to task by the commission and no party has been singled out.

Legal action against Ravi K

The President also said laws have to be amended to take action for bribery related to the bond issue and steps have already been taken in this regard.

Meanwhile the Commission report referring to the allegation against former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake regarding the payment of rent for the penthouse apartment belonging to the Aloysius Family and their Walt and Rowe Company stated that Karunanayake was responsible for that and recommended that the government take necessary action against Ravi Karunanayake under the section of bribery and corruption and further legal action under the penal codes for giving false evidence at the Commission.

 Presidents Special Statement

(Video)

In related news

 UNP wants Greek Bond Scam Investigated

Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayaka said the case involving the killing of five Tamil students in Trincomalee was now progressing as new reforms have allowed the used of Skype evidence.

"We could not proceed with the case as the main witness was overseas and was not in a position to support proceedings. The case is now progressing as new reforms have allowed the use of Skype evidence," Ratnayaka said, on Twitter, on Thursday.

The Minister made this revelation while responding to a tweet by US Ambassador Atul Keshap on the same matter. "Justice delayed is justice denied," the US Ambassador said, referring to the delays in the case.

The five Tamil students selected for university were killed On January 2, 2006, in Trincomalee, allegedly by a Police Special Task Force group. Twelve STF officers were later arrested by the Police in connections with the killings.

Dr. Kasipillai Manoharan, the father of one of the five students, attended the UN Human Rights Council annual review meeting in March 2013 to demand justice for the murders.

Kasippillai Manoharan, in his speech said, "My son Rajigar is one of the five university students assassinated at Trincomalee. On behalf of the five students I am asking justice. Seven years have gone after the brutal killings of the students, but so far justice was not served." A visibly shaken Manoharan broke down in tears while speaking at the UNHRC annual review meeting.

In Sri Lanka, however, the authorities found it hard to proceed with the case for a long time as Dr. Manoharan, a key witness in the case, was overseas and was not in a support proceedings.

- A loss of LKR 11 billion

- Arjun misused his power

- Prime Minister to bear some responsibility

- Bribery Commission to investigate Ravi K.

 The recommendations made by the commission appointed to investigate the bond issue has been revealed to isis.lk.

According to information received the recommendations will also be included in the statement which is set to be made by President Maithripala Sirisena on the report.

The report has revealed that through the bond issue, Perpetual Treasuries Ltd. has earned around Rs. 11 Billion in a devious manner. According to the report, the previous governor of the Central Bank Arjuna Mahendran has misused his power in this matter while it also points out that the Prime Minister is also responsible in appointing such a person for the position. It has recommended that the loss incurred by the government should be paid by those involved.

The commission has also recommended that a separate investigation by the Bribery commission should commence regarding the Former Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake's dealings with the accused and obtaining a luxury house from them.

Reports say the special statement made by the President has already been recorded and will be released to all media outlets today evening.

The Indian government is planning to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sri Lanka for cooperation in areas of traditional systems of medicine and Homeopathy.

The proposed MoU will be signed between Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine and India’s Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH).

The Mou will foster cooperation in the promotion and regulation of teaching practice, drugs and drug-less therapies, traditional medicine and homeopathy.

The MoU will also provide for the exchange of experts for the training of practitioners, paramedics and scientists.

It will also facilitate the accommodation of interested students in institutions for research and educational training programmes on traditional medicine.

Source: PIB

State Minister of Law and Order, Piyasena Gamage is said to have acted in a shameless and disruptive manner at the Nagoda Police station on January 1 while violating everything the Yahapalana government stands for.

Apparently the Minister had acted in this manner against officers of the Traffic division of the Nagoda Police station for issuing fines to several supporters of the Minister for not wearing helmets while travelling on a motorcycles.

Sources say the Minister had also attempted to assault one of the officers who had issued the fine notices while berating them in abusive language unfit for an individual of his station. He is also said to have demanded that the fine notices be taken back.

Meanwhile, the Minister is also said to have ordered for STF protection to be given to his son despite according to normal procedure intelligence and security reports are scrutinized before providing STF security to a person.