News

A 54-year-old man has been taken into custody after police allegedly found around 280 grams of hashish in his possession during a raid at the Muwadhora Uyana housing complex in Grandpass.

The operation was carried out by officers attached to the Colombo District Crime Division following information received by the police.

According to investigators, the suspect was found with the narcotic substance during the search and was arrested at the scene. The seized hashish has been taken into police custody as part of the ongoing investigation.

Police identified the suspect as a 54-year-old resident of Colombo 14.

Further investigations into the incident are being conducted by the Colombo District Crime Division.

Opposition Members of Parliament have submitted a letter to the Speaker requesting an urgent adjournment debate to draw Parliament's attention to the clashes that erupted at Negombo Prison.

The letter has been signed by several Opposition MPs, including Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.

Quoting the Hansard Report of November 30, 2020 (Volume 280, Issue 07), the motion referred to remarks made by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during a prison riot that year.

"We all know that those who are remanded and imprisoned are under the custody of the State. They could be remand prisoners, they could be convicts. They are under the custody of the State. Therefore, the primary responsibility for the safety of the lives of the prisoners and detainees who are in State custody lies with the Government," the motion said.

Referring to the recent violence at Negombo Prison on July 5 and 6, the Opposition said it had been reported that 26 people, including prison officers and inmates, had died, while more than 100 others were injured.

"The full responsibility for the reported deaths and injuries falls upon the Government. Considering the gravity and urgency of the matter, we request that an urgent adjournment debate be granted under Standing Order 19(1) to bring this issue to the immediate attention of Parliament," the motion said.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has called for an immediate legislative overhaul to combat the country’s escalating dengue crisis during a meeting with public health experts.

Speaking to a delegation of larvicidal scientists at the Opposition Leader's Office, he noted that the Mosquito Breeding Act number 11 of 1987 is outdated and must be amended to effectively address modern outbreaks.

He pointed out that the legal framework enacted nearly four decades ago lacks the tools required to manage the scale of the current epidemic.

Premadasa also highlighted the severe resource shortages hindering frontline eradication efforts.

He stressed that field officers require proper logistical support to carry out their duties efficiently and called on the government to provide essential facilities including motorbikes for larvicidal scientists working in high risk areas.

He added that equipping these field workers is a critical step toward ensuring rapid response and controlling the spread of the disease across affected communities.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has held the government responsible for the deadly violence at Negombo Prison, saying the incident which has claimed at least 25 lives could have been prevented.

In a special statement issued on Monday, Premadasa said the loss of life and the injuries sustained resulted from the collapse and inefficiency of the prison administration.

He recalled that the current President, while serving in the opposition, had previously said the government should be held responsible if deaths occurred inside prisons, and argued that the same principle must now apply to the present administration.

Premadasa further claimed that the government's promised system change had failed, saying the Negombo Prison incident exposed shortcomings in governance, law and order, and prison management.

He questioned whether the government was capable of maintaining law and order and ensuring a humane prison administration, adding that the public deserved answers.

The Opposition Leader also called for an independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the incident, saying this should not be left to a committee appointed to produce a report favourable to the government.

He further urged the government to set aside what he described as arrogance and to focus instead on addressing the country's pressing issues, including national security and prison management.

The Court of Appeal today (06) scheduled August 6, 2026, to hear the appeal filed by former Parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra challenging her conviction and three-year rigorous imprisonment sentence.

Premachandra has appealed the judgment delivered by the Colombo High Court, seeking to have both her conviction and sentence set aside.

The former MP was found guilty in connection with the 2015 abduction, assault, and wrongful confinement of a young employee attached to a shop in Dematagoda. Following the conviction, the High Court imposed a three-year term of rigorous imprisonment.

When the matter was taken up before the Court of Appeal today, the bench directed that the appeal be heard on August 6, 2026.

The appeal proceedings will determine whether the High Court's judgment will be upheld or overturned following legal submissions from both parties.

Around 46,000 children who have been subjected to abuse and exploitation are still awaiting justice, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said, calling on the government to expedite legal proceedings relating to child abuse cases.

The remarks were made during a discussion on child protection issues held at the Opposition Leader's Office.

Delays in investigating and prosecuting complaints, Premadasa said, had denied many victims justice during their childhood, and he urged authorities to take immediate steps to ensure timely legal redress.

The National Child Protection Policy came under particular criticism from the Opposition Leader.

Launched in 2019 with the intention of being implemented by 2025, the policy has since been postponed until 2029, a decision Premadasa described as an injustice to children.

Support from the SJB would be extended to any initiative aimed at strengthening child protection, Premadasa said, including the immediate implementation of the policy this year.

He noted that around 4,000 child abuse cases are currently pending before courts and called for measures to expedite hearings.

A Presidential Task Force to fast track investigations and ensure justice for all complainants was proposed by Premadasa, who stressed that child protection should not be politicised.

A 23-year-old youth has been arrested in connection with an alleged online financial scam in which a victim was defrauded of Rs. 4,386,219, police said.

The arrest was made following a complaint received by the North Western Province Unit of the Computer Crime Investigation Division (CCID).

Investigations have revealed that the fraud was carried out through contacts established via Facebook and Telegram.

Police further stated that the suspect is alleged to have fraudulently obtained Rs. 4,386,219, of which Rs. 500,000 had already been misappropriated.

The suspect has been identified as a 23-year-old resident of Beruwala.

The North Western Province Unit of the CCID is conducting further investigations into the incident. 

(Adaderana.lk)

The Welfare Benefits Board has announced that payments for June under the “Aswesuma” welfare benefit scheme for senior citizens aged over 70 will be credited to beneficiaries’ bank accounts tomorrow (03).

According to the Board, arrangements have been made to deposit funds in two phases.

Under the first phase, a total of Rs. 3,108,805,000 will be credited to the accounts of 621,761 beneficiaries aged over 70.

In the second phase, Rs. 380,695,000 will be deposited into the Aswesuma bank accounts of 76,139 beneficiaries within the same age group.

The Welfare Benefits Board stated that the payments are being processed to ensure timely financial assistance to eligible senior citizens under the welfare programme.