News

Rochelle Abeygunawardena, daughter of former Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena, has been taken into custody by the Panadura-Walana Central Anti-Corruption Unit in connection with an ongoing investigation into the illegal importation and registration of a luxury vehicle.

She surrendered to the unit earlier today (30) through legal representation and was subsequently questioned for nearly seven hours.

Following the interrogation, she was formally placed under arrest.

Rochelle Abeygunawardena was arrested over the unlawful import and assembly of a high-end Jeep.

An arrest warrant has been issued today (July 28) against Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa by the Hambantota Magistrate’s Court.

The warrant was issued after MP Rajapaksa failed to appear in court for a case that was scheduled to be taken up for hearing today.

Sri Lanka’s newly appointed High Commissioner-designate to India, Mahishini Colonne, presented her credentials to Indian President, Droupadi Murmu, today.

She presented her credentials at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Mahishini Colonne was appointed to the post by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in May this year.

Former Sri Lanka Navy Commander Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with an investigation into the abduction and murder of an individual in the Pothuhera area.

At the time of the incident, Admiral Ulugetenne served as the Head of Naval Intelligence, and the alleged victim was reportedly held in a clandestine detention facility operated under his command.

Police stated that the investigation was initiated based on a letter allegedly sent from the detention center.

Several suspects have already been arrested in connection with the case.

Former SDIG Priyantha Jayakody, who was arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) yesterday, has been remanded until 06 August.

He was remanded after being presented before the Mahara Magistrate’s Court today.

The Sri Lanka Police earlier said that Priyantha Jayakody was arrested, based on a probe into an incident of threatening former Public Security Minister Tiran Alles and SDIG Lalith Pathinayake.

The Police said a suspect was arrested yesterday for allegedly threatening former minister Tiran Alles and SDIG Lalith Pathinayake, pretending to be an underworld figure residing overseas.

Interrogations of the suspect had revealed that the man had pretended to be an underworld figure and had threatened former minister Alles and SDIG Pathinayake at the request of former SDIG Priyantha Jayakody.

Based on the revelation, the CID arrested former SDIG Priyantha Jayakody yesterday and produced him in court today.

Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said same-sex marriage is not a human right and should not be permitted, speaking at a religious ceremony held at St. Anne’s Church in Beruwala.

The Cardinal warned against the increasing promotion of what he described as “corrupt ideologies” in modern society, including the push for same-sex marriage, which he claimed undermines traditional family values.

“How can two men build a family? How can they have children?” Cardinal Ranjith questioned, adding that marriage should not be treated as a temporary experience and must be based on moral and spiritual understanding.

He further stated that young men and women today often enter relationships without proper awareness or commitment, contrasting it with earlier times when marriages were arranged with parental guidance and blessings.

Cardinal Ranjith emphasized that such traditional unions were more successful and contributed to stable families, calling on society to resist what he described as distorted notions of human rights.

The Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court today (29) ordered the release of former Minister Duminda Dissanayake from the case filed over the discovery of a gold-plated T-56 firearm at an apartment complex in Havelock Town, citing lack of evidence.

During court proceedings, Magistrate Chathurika de Silva ordered the release of former Minister Dissanayake due to the absence of direct and circumstantial evidence related to the case.

The former Minister was taken into custody on 23 May in connection with investigations regarding ownership of a gold-plated T-56 type firearm found at a housing complex in Havelock Town.

The gold-plated T-56 assault rifle was discovered inside a woman’s travel bag at the apartment complex.

After being presented before the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court, Duminda Dissanayake was ordered to be remanded.

Later, after considering a bail request submitted by him, he was released on bail under strict conditions on 14 July.

The Ministry of Public Security announced plans to deploy 10,000 civil security officers to support the police service.

Deputy Minister of Public Security, Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala, said that the newly recruited officers will be assigned to police stations across the country.

He added that drug prevention operations have been intensified island-wide and are being carried throughout the day.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake arrived at Velana International Airport this morning (28), marking the start of his state visit to the Maldives.

Upon arrival, he was warmly received by Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, with a Guard of Honour from the Maldives National Defence Force.

As part of the airport welcome ceremony, a group of young girls performed a vibrant cultural dance, following which President Dissanayake interacted briefly with the performers.

The official ceremony to welcome President Dissanayake is scheduled to take place this afternoon at Republic Square in Malé, under the patronage of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.

President Dissanayake is accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, along with a delegation of senior government officials.

Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, the senior-most justice of the Supreme Court, was sworn in as the 49th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the President's Office this morning.

His appointment follows the retirement of former Chief Justice Murdhu Fernando, and was approved by the Constitutional Council.

Justice Surasena took oaths as an attorney-at-law in 1989 and joined the Attorney General’s Department, where he served as a State Counsel.

In 2007, he was appointed as a High Court Judge.

He was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2016 and served as President of the Court of Appeal from 2018.

In 2019, he was appointed as Justice of the Supreme Court.

He is currently the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Mrs. P.A.G. Fernando as the Chief Secretary of Uva Province, effective immediately.

The letter of appointment was officially handed over to her by the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (28).

Mrs. Fernando, a Special Grade Officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, previously served as the Secretary to the Ministry of Education Cultural & Arts, Sports & Youth Affairs & Information Technology Western Province

It has been revealed during a meeting of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) that a sum of over Rs. 2.4 million has been spent solely on name boards to designate 809 provincial schools as national schools.

However, it has come to light that these schools have been designated as national schools in name only, with no substantive changes implemented to reflect their new status.

These findings were disclosed during a recent session of COPA, in which officials from the Ministry of Education were summoned for questioning.

Furthermore, the committee has recommended that the Ministry of Education submit a comprehensive report within three months regarding the program launched by the previous government to increase the number of national schools to 1,000, along with details of the 72 projects initiated under the State Ministry.