News

Former WPC Member Amal Silva Granted Bail in Luxury Vehicle Fraud Case

Former Western Provincial Councilor Amal Silva, who was arrested by the Walana Anti-Vice Squad for registering three luxury vehicles worth Rs. 60 million using forged documents, has been granted bail.

A comprehensive inquiry has been launched into a senior security official accused of deliberately concealing critical evidence linked to the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.

According to revelations made during ongoing investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the official not only withheld vital material but also facilitated the alteration of evidence by instructing subordinates under his command.

Following submissions to court, the CID has been directed to summon the official for questioning regarding his role in obstructing the investigation.

The Easter Sunday bombings, carried out on 21 April 2019, claimed the lives of more than 300 people. Multiple investigative bodies have since conducted inquiries into the incident; however, serious allegations have emerged in recent years suggesting deliberate attempts to obstruct or derail those investigations.

In November 2019, a large number of CID officers who were engaged in probing the attacks were reassigned to police stations across the country for other duties. Subsequently, senior police officer Shani Abeysekara, who was leading the investigations at the time, was arrested.

At present, the Easter Sunday investigations are once again under the purview of the Criminal Investigation Department, headed by its current Director, Shani Abeysekara.

MP Ramanathan Archchuna taken into custody by Pettah Police

Parliamentarian Ramanathan Archchuna was taken into custody by the Pettah Police.

He had arrived at the police station this morning (29) to give a statement when he was detained.

The arrest relates to an incident during a recent protest in Colombo, where the MP was seen allegedly assaulting a police officer at the Pettah Police Station.

As part of the ongoing investigation into that incident, he was taken into custody when he appeared at the station today.

The proposed law on punishing child abuse is not targeted at schools or teachers but aims to protect children across society, Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said.

Speaking at a program held at the Ministry of Education on Friday (27) to brief principals of national schools, Amarasuriya explained that the amendment addresses both physical and psychological abuse faced by children in schools, institutions, police custody, and homes.

“This is not a law designed against schools or teachers. It is a reform intended for the protection of all children in society,” she said.

The Prime Minister stressed that the law does not ban discipline in schools. “We have not stopped punishment or maintaining discipline. What we say is that punishment should not be through physical or psychological violence. There are many positive ways to maintain discipline without subjecting children to harm or humiliation,” she added.

Amarasuriya also highlighted broader social concerns, noting that violence has become a dominant means of resolving conflict in the country. “Domestic violence is rising, and conflicts in homes, institutions, and even religious spaces are being settled through aggression. That is extremely dangerous. As a society, we need to move beyond violence to resolve our problems,” she said.

The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of workshops and discussions to introduce non-violent methods of maintaining discipline and called for a societal shift towards building a more developed and compassionate environment for children.

Udaya Gammanpila files complaint with Bribery Commission over MPs’ allowances

Udaya Gammanpila, leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya party, filed a complaint with the Bribery Commission this morning (29).

The complaint concerns the monthly allowances received by government MPs, which are allegedly being transferred to party funds and used for political activities.

Speaking to the media after submitting the complaint, Gammanpila stated that MPs’ allowances cannot be spent at his discretion. He claimed that over 159 MPs are channeling more than LKR 30 million monthly into party funds, which is then used for political purposes. He described this as a misuse of public funds and urged the Bribery Commission to investigate the matter.

“These funds are meant for paying telephone bills, fuel, and office maintenance. Diverting them to party funds for political activities constitutes misuse of public money. More than LKR 30 million per month, from 159 MPs and the President, is being misused in this way. That is why we have come to the Bribery Commission today, to ensure the law is applied to all 160 individuals involved.”

An SLPP member of the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council and former Western Provincial Councillor, Amal Silva, has been arrested by the Walana Central Anti-Corruption Strike Force.

Police said Silva was taken into custody over the alleged possession of three SUVsvalued at more than Rs. 60 million. The vehicles are suspected to have been registered under forged documents.

Investigations revealed that the vehicles had been illegally imported into the country and registered under false numbers at the Department of Motor Traffic using forged documents.

Among the seized vehicles were three SUVs, including Land Rover and Mitsubishi models.

Preliminary investigations further uncovered that the registration had been carried out using forged documents prepared under numbers belonging to state-owned, condemned vehicles.

Police said the suspect will be produced before the Panadura Magistrate’s Court tomorrow (29) in connection with an ongoing case.

President Dissanayake to hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba

Invited by the Japanese government, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is scheduled to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba today (29) at the Prime Minister’s Office in Japan.

The discussions will focus on bilateral cooperation in areas such as the economy, investment, development, and security.

Accompanying the President will be Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath; Presidential Senior Adviser on Digital Economy, Dr. Hans Wijesuriya; Senior Presidential Economic Adviser Duminda Hulangamuwa; and a delegation of senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe visited Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at his Carlton residence in Tangalle, to inquire into the health of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

He was accompanied by a group including Sagala Ratnayake.

Later, former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe engaged in a cordial conversation.

The former presidents further met with the members of the public from various parts of the country who had also gathered at the residence to meet the two former presidents.

Several politicians who have served under both leaders were also present during the visit.

Bodies of three workers recovered after earth mound collapse in Mawanella

In the Manikkawa area of Aluthnuwara, Mawanella, a group of workers building a wall came under an earth mound that collapsed this morning (29).

Rescue operations were carried out, and the bodies of all three workers have now been recovered.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, on an official visit to Japan, is scheduled to meet the Sri Lankan community in Tokyo this afternoon (28).

The three-day visit began yesterday (27) with the President’s arrival in Japan, where he was warmly welcomed by Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Japan Akiyo Isomata, Ambassador Professor Pivituru Janak Kumarasinghe, and senior officials from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Yesterday, President Dissanayake attended the Sri Lanka Day celebrations at Expo 2025 in Osaka as the chief guest. He traveled from Shin-Osaka to Tokyo this morning to meet the Sri Lankan community.

During the visit, he is expected to meet Emperor Naruhito and hold bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the Ministers of Defense, Foreign Affairs, Economy, Trade and Industry, and other senior officials. The President will also participate in the Sri Lanka Investment Forum organized jointly by the Sri Lanka and Japan Chambers of Commerce in Tokyo.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath, along with senior Foreign Ministry officials, is accompanying President Dissanayake on the visit.

Investigations have revealed that Sampath Manampeiri, who was being sought by the police in connection with an Ice (crystal methamphetamine) trafficking case, deliberately destroyed his mobile phone by placing it on a railway track in the Wellawatte area.

He had confessed that the device was destroyed in order to prevent the police from tracking his whereabouts through it. Instead, he had used another mobile phone, which has since been recovered by police.

According to police sources, this phone is believed to contain a significant amount of sensitive data.

A senior police officer stated that although Manampeiri destroyed the handset he had used for a long period, investigations are still being conducted through its associated number.

After evading arrest for several weeks, Manampeiri surrendered before the Walasmulla Magistrate’s Court, where he was remanded for seven days and handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau for questioning. During that period, no details of his interrogations were released to the media.

However, during a subsequent four-hour interrogation by the Western Province North Crimes Division, he disclosed information regarding the destruction of the phone.

Weapons and ammunition cache uncovered

He also revealed the location of hidden weapons and ammunition. Acting on this information, officers of the Western Province North Crimes Division recovered from a pit at a residence in Mideniya:

• A cache of gold-plated magazines for T-56 assault rifles,
• 115 additional T-56 magazines, and
• A hand grenade.

After the initial seven-day detention expired, Manampeiri was again produced before the Walasmulla Magistrate’s Court last Thursday and remanded.

Police subsequently sought court approval to detain him for 90 days for further interrogation. Following due legal procedure, the Acting Minister of Defence authorized the order, which was then presented to court last Friday. The court granted approval, permitting the police to detain him for 90 days for further investigations.

Currently, he is being held at the Colombo Harbour Police Station under the custody of the Western Province North Crimes Division.

During questioning, Manampeiri claimed ignorance about the Ice drugs discovered in two controversial shipping containers in Mideniya. He told investigators that while businessman Bako Saman was overseas, he was asked to take responsibility for two containers released from the port, which he then transported to Mideniya.

Link to MP Nadarajah Raviraj assassination

It has also been revealed that Manampeiri was once arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) as a suspect in the assassination of Member of Parliament Nadarajah Raviraj.

At the time, he had been serving in the Presidential Security Division under then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa. His alleged involvement in the assassination surfaced during the Yahapalana (Good Governance) administration.

Investigations further uncovered that he maintained close ties with a prominent Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) politician from the Kurunegala District, and that he was also linked to cannabis smuggling operations.

Recent intelligence suggests that while in hiding, Manampeiri had planned to flee to India by boat with the assistance of a Kerala-based cannabis trafficker in Mannar. It is also reported that one of his children, currently residing overseas, had expressed willingness to provide him with assistance in this attempt.

The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has notified all taxpayers to make their final income tax payments for the 2024/2025 assessment year on or before September 30.

This requirement applies to individuals, companies, corporations, partnerships, and other registered entities.

The IRD stated that tax payments can be made through the Online Tax Payment Platform (OTPP) or at any branch of the Bank of Ceylon (BOC) without the need for physical payment slips.

Taxpayers have also been reminded that interest and penalties will be imposed for delays or failures in making payments.

The Department further emphasized that penalties and interest charged for late or non-payment will not be waived or reduced under any circumstances.