Shocking revelations of deep security state within the State

By Our Political Editor-Sunday, January 25, 2015

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Shocking Revelations of Deep Security State Within the State by Thavam Ratna

இராணுவத்தினரில் தாக்குதலுக்கு இலக்காகிய இளைஞன் வைத்தியசாலையில் அனுமதிப்பு 

25 ஜனவரி 2015, ஞாயிறு 11:20 மு.ப

விளையாடிக் கொண்டிருந்தவேளை இராணுவ முகாமிற்குள் சென்ற பந்தை எடுக்கச் சென்றவரை இராணுவத்தினர் கடுமையாக தாக்கியதாக வல்வெட்டித்துறை பொலிஸ் நிலையத்தில் இளைஞன் ஒருவர் நேற்று மாலை முறைப்பாடு செய்துள்ளார்.

சம்பவம் குறித்து தெரியவருவதாவது, 

வல்வெட்டித்துறை எள்ளங்குளம் பகுதியிலுள்ள விளையாட்டு மைதானத்தில் விளையாடிக் கொண்டிருந்த வேளை இராணுவ முகாமுக்குள் பந்து சென்றுவிட்டது.  

அதனை எடுப்பதற்கு சென்ற இளைஞன் இராணுவத்தினால் கடுமையாக தாக்கப்பட்டு படுகாயமடைந்த நிலையில் ஊரணி வைத்தியசாலையில் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளார். 

இவ்வாறு தாக்கப்பட்டவர் குறித்த பகுதியைச் சேர்ந்த 3 பிள்ளைகளின் தந்தையான செல்வராஜா ஜெகன்(வயது- 29) என்பவராவார். 

தாக்கப்பட்டவேளை குறித்த இளைஞனும் அவரது நண்பர்களும் சம்பவ இடத்தை விட்டு தப்பிவிட்டனர். 

எனினும் அவர் மைதானத்திற்கு சென்றிருந்த மோட்டார் சைக்கிளை இரணுவத்தினர் தங்களது முகாமிற்கு கொண்டு சென்றனர். அதன்பின்னர் மோட்டார் சைக்கிளை முகாமிற்கு வந்து எடுத்துச் செல்லுமாறு அவருடைய வீட்டுக்கு சென்ற இராணுவத்தினர் கூறினர்.

அதன்போது தனது தாய் , சகோதரியுடன்  இராணுவ முகாமிற்குச் சென்ற இளைஞன் மீண்டும் கடுமையாக தாக்கப்பட்டுள்ளார்.

அவரது உடல் மற்றும் காது பகுதியில் காயங்கள் காணப்படுகின்ற நிலையில் வல்வெட்டித்துறை பொலிஜ் நிலையில் தான் தாக்கப்பட்ட சம்பவம் தொடர்பிலும் முறைப்பாட்டினைப் பதிவு செய்துள்ளார். 

மீள்குடியேற்றம், அரசியல் கைதிகளின் விடுதலை குறித்து வடக்கு முதலமைச்சர்  சுவாமிநாதனுடன்  சந்திப்பு 

வட மாகாண முதலமைச்சர் சி.வி. விக்னேஸ்வரன் நேற்று சனிக்கிழமை மீள்குடியேற்ற அமைச்சர் டி.எம். சுவாமிநாதனைச் சந்தித்து வலி. வடக்கு பிரதேசத்தில் மக்களை மீள்குடியேற்றுவது தொடர்பில் கலந்துரையாடியுள்ளார்.  

Post by Newsfirst.lk.

அமைச்சர் சுவாமிநாதனின் கொழும்பு இல்லத்தில் நேற்று மாலை நடைபெற்ற இந்தச் சந்திப்பில், முதலமைச்சருடன் வட மாகாண சபையின் 3 அமைச்சர்களும் கலந்து கொண்டனர்.  

வலி. வடக்கில் பாதுகாப்புப் படையினரால் கையகப்படுத்தி வைக்கப்பட்டிருக்கும் மக்களின் காணிகளை விடுவித்து அதில் மக்களை அவர்களது சொந்த காணிகளில் மீள்குடியேற்றம் செய்வது பற்றி இந்த சந்திப்பில் பிரதானமாக கலந்துரையாடப்பட்டுள்ளது. 

 வலி. வடக்கில் சுமார் 6,500 ஏக்கர் காணி பாதுகாப்பு படையினரால் கையப்படுத்தி வைக்கப்பட்டிருக்கும் நிலையில், அவற்றில் தேசிய பாதுகாப்புக்கும் படையினரின் தேவைகளுக்கும் அவசியமற்ற ஏனைய அனைத்து காணிகளிலும் மக்கள் மீள்குடியேற்றப்பட வேண்டும் என்றும் தற்போதைய அரசாங்கத்தின் 100 நாட்கள் வேலைத்திட்டத்துக்குள் இவ்விடயத்தையும் உள்வாங்கி அவற்றை நிறைவேற்றுவதற்கு உடனடி நடவடிக்கைகள் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட வேண்டும் என்றும் வடக்கு முதலமைச்சர் விக்னேஸ்வரன் இதன்போது மீள்குடியேற்ற அமைச்சரிடம் கோரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளார்.  

அத்துடன், வலி. வடக்கில் பாதுகாப்புப் படையினரால் தற்போது கையகப்படுத்தி வைக்கப்பட்டிருக்கும் காணிகளில் சிறிய பரப்பொன்றே அவர்களதும் அதேபோல், தேசிய பாதுகாப்பின் நிமித்தமானதுமான தேவைகளுக்கு அவசியமாக இருக்கும் என்ற வகையில் 5 ஆயிரம் ஏக்கர்களுக்கும் அதிகமான காணிகளை மக்களின் மீள்குடியேற்றத்துக்காக விடுவிக்க முடியும் என்றும் விக்னேஸ்வரன் இதன்போது சுட்டிக்காட்டியுள்ளார்.  

இதேநேரம், இந்த விவகாரம் தொடர்பில் உரிய கவனம் செலுத்தி தகுந்த நடவடிக்கைகளை மேற்கொள்வதாக அமைச்சர் சுவாமிநாதன் இந்த சந்திப்பில் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.  

அதுமட்டுமல்லாது, சிறைச்சாலைகளில் இருக்கும் தமிழ் அரசியல் கைதிகளின் விடுதலை பற்றியும் இந்த சந்திப்பில் பேசப்பட்டுள்ளது.  

அரசியல் கைதிகளைப் பொறுத்த வரையில் பதிவு செய்யப்பட்டவர்கள் மற்றும் பதிவு செய்யப்படாதவர்கள் என்று இரு பிரிவினர் இருக்கும் நிலையில், பதிவு செய்யப்படாதவர்களில் பலரும் மறைத்து வைக்கப்பட்டிருக்கலாம் என்ற சந்தேகம் தங்களுக்கும் மக்களுக்கும் இருப்பதால், நீதிமன்ற நீதிபதிகள் இது தொடர்பில் சிறைச்சாலை சென்று இந்த கைதிகள் பற்றி ஆராய நடவடிக்கைகள் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட வேண்டும் என்றும் அதற்கான அதிகாரங்கள் நீதிபதிகளுக்கு இருப்பதாகவும் உயர் நீதிமன்றத்தின் முன்னாள் நீதியரசரான வடக்கு முதலமைச்சர் விக்னேஸ்வரன் சுட்டிக்காட்டியுள்ளார்.  

இந்த விடயம் தொடர்பிலும் சம்பந்தப்பட்ட தரப்பினருடன் கலந்தாலோசித்து உரிய கவனம் செலுத்துவதாக அமைச்சர் சுவாமிநாதன் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.  - 

மீண்டும் இராணுவக் குடியிருப்பு?

24 ஜனவரி 2015, சனி 9:50 மு.ப

யாழ்.வலிகாமம் வடக்கு உயர்பாதுகாப்பு வலயத்தின் முகப்பு பகுதியில் மீண்டும் இராணுவக் குடியிருப்பு என அடையாளப்படுத்தும் பெயர் பலகையால் வலி,வடக்கு மக்கள் அச்சமடைந்துள்ளனர்.

 

குறித்த பெயர் பலகை முன்னரும் ஒருதடவை அமைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த நிலையில் அது தொடர்பிலான செய்திகள் ஊடகங்களில் வெளியாகியிருந்தது. 

 

அதனைத் தொடர்ந்து  சிறிது காலம் அகற்றப்பட்டிருந்த பெயர்ப் பலகை தற்போது உயர்பாதுகாப்பு வலயத்தின் வாயிலில் வளைவு அமைக்கப்பட்டு அதன்மேல் மீண்டும் வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

 

புதிதாக ஆட்சியினை கைப்பற்றியிருக்கும் ஜனாதிபதி மைத்திரிபால சிறிசேனா தலமையிலான அரசு வடமாகாணத்தில் படையினரினால் கையகப்படுத்தப்பட்டிருக்கும் தமிழ் மக்களுடைய நிலங்களை விடுவிப்பதாக வாக்குறுதி வழங்கியிருக்கும் நிலையில், வலி,வடக்கு மற்றும் முல்லைத்தீவு மாவட்ட மக்கள், மீண்டும் தங்கள் சொந்த நிலங்களுக்கு திரும்பும் ஆவலுடன் உள்ளனர். 

 

மேலும் புதிய அரசு மீள்குடியேற்றம் தொடர்பிலான முழுமையான தகவல்களை தமக்கு தருமாறு கோரியதற்கிணங்க தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பு சேகரித்துவரும் மீள்குடியேற்றம் தொடர்பிலாக தகவல் சேகரிக்கும் நடவடிக்கைக்கும்,

மக்கள் ஆர்வத்துடன் தங்கள் தகவல்களை வழங்கி வருகின்றனர்.

 

இந்த நிலையில் மீள்குடியேற்ற பிரச்சினையில் பெரும் சர்ச்சைகளை உருவாக்கியிருக்கும் வலி,வடக்கு உயர்பாதுகாப்பு வலயத்தில் இராணுவக் குடியிருப்பு என்ற பெயர் பலகை பொறிக்கப்பட்டிருந்தமையால் குறித்த பகுதி விடுவிக்கப்படுமா? என்ற சந்தேகம் மக்கள் மத்தியில் எழுந்துள்ளது.

Maithri Administration Gags Media Freedom

January 25, 2015

Despite the pledges made by President Maithripala Sirisena during his campaign to protect and strengthen media freedom in the country, it seems his administration has now backtracked on the promise and is seeking to further throttle transparency and freedom of the media.

Rajitha

Following the issue, which emerged due to the contradictory statements made by the Defence Ministry Secretary BMUD Basnayake on the legality of the floating armoury raided last week and the comment made by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake concerning an account that was operated by former Defence Ministry SecretaryGotabaya Rajapaksa, the government has made a decision to control the channels through which the media obtains information.

This was initially announced by Cabinet SpokesmanRajitha Senaratne during a media briefing, when he announced that a decision has been made to ensure that all public sector officials strictly follow the Establishment code and that no comments/information should be released to the media without obtaining prior written approval of the relevant Ministry Secretary.

Ironically, it was the comment issued by the Defence Ministry Secretary that resulted in this decision.

While Minister Karunanayake announced to media that the account opened by Gotabaya to deposit MoD funds was illegal as the monies should have been deposited in the consolidated fund in the Treasury, Basnayake told media that it was in fact operated by the Ministry within legal parameters, contradicting the stance maintained by the new government.

Meanwhile, it has been reported in the Sunday Times political column today that the Ministers of the new government have decided that Public Administration Minister Karu Jayasuriya should issue instructions to Ministry Secretaries stating that they should ‘strictly follow the rules and regulations under the Establishment Code in issuing Press Releases by State Officials.’

Sri Lanka’s new government and the possibility of justice

23 January 2015
Sri Lanka’s new president, Maithripala Sirisena, has promised to break from the Rajapaksa regime’s rule with a 100 day plan of widely welcomed reforms that will ensure good governance, rule of law and judicial independence. However the new government is yet to address the country’s most significant issue in Sri Lanka – that of accountability and justice for wartime mass atrocities in which tens of thousands of Tamils died in the cataclysmic end of the war, and the rights abuses during and after the war.

As the surprise at the sudden collapse of the Rajapaksa regime begins to fade, focus is again on this issue, not least as the landmark UN inquiry launched in March 2014 is to report in two months at the next session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Mr Sirisena made it clear during his election campaign and in his manifesto that he would not allow any Sri Lankan citizen who fought against the LTTE to be handed over to face international justice. Instead, vowing to clean up Sri Lanka’s image on the international stage, Mr Sirisena promised a domestic inquiry into any allegations of war crimes.However, calls on the new government to reverse the Rajapaksa government’s defiance of international demands and to comply with the UN inquiry began as soon as Mr Sirisena took office. While congratulating the new president on his electoral win, the UK and Canadian governments pointedly called on him to cooperate with the inquiry.[more]

Reclaiming the State

by Tisaranee Gunasekara

“Did this ever happen?”- Homer (The Iliad) 

( January 25, 2015, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Some reports may be exaggerated; others not. From ‘imported’ dogs, birds and horses, sharks and elephant-calves allegedly found in the official residences of Mahinda and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa[i] to the discovery of several private-armouries, many recent revelations indicate the unimaginable extent to which the Rajapaksas treated the state as their private preserve.

Reclaiming the State by Thavam Ratna

Is this the beginning of a ‘Maithri regime’..? watch out..!

(Lanka-e-news- 25.Jan.2015, 9.00PM) It is an indisputable and obvious fact the protesting people of the country, on 8th January 2015 ,at last succeeded in destroying almost insurmountable obstacles in the face of the gravest odds , to get rid of a most brutal , barbaric corrupt murderous despotic family regime which during its 9 years reign only fanned nepotism , cronyism and favoritism thereby appointing all its relatives , crooks ,corrupt and competent individuals to the highest offices in the country, and in the end led itself into inevitable disaster and despair.

However ,even before the people can heave a sigh of relief and say ,’good riddance of bad rubbish, ‘apparently , the new President Maithripala Sirisena had begun another journey on the same disastrous lines :

A younger brother of Maithripala Sirisena who was cutting down trees under past regime has been appointed as the chairman of the Sri Lanka telecom (SLT) of the modern era which is abounding with knowledge of commerce and science, and when that vacancy should be filled by a mathematician or someone with knowledge in that field . Besides , this appointment being made by Maithri himself is a matter for deep regret .

Pallewatte Gamaralalage Kumarasinghe Sirisena was the general manager of State Timber Corporation since 2006. Gamaralalage Sirisena who was the Director of the Land reform and development private Co. that was launched by the deposed Rajapakses to plunder lands after reclamation ,is unfortunately not possessed of a clean slate based on his antecedence.

No matter what , Gamaralalage Sirisena has suddenly barged into the SLT last 21st sans any prior notice ,armed with a letter appointing him as the SLT chairman under the signature of President’s secretary P.B. Abeykoon.

Intriguingly ,Kumarasinghe had arrived at the SLT not alone; in his company was Jayantha Thilakaratne ,an ex human resource manager who was chased out from SLT several years ago after being named as a most corrupt official based on a report given by judge Chandradasa Nanayakkara who was appointed to investigate the corruption and frauds at SLT that time.

Kumarasinghe Sirisena who opened the cubicle of the SLT chairman after collecting its key forcibly , sat in the chairman’s seat and told others at SLT that he is the chairman from that day. The secretary o the chairman and CEO of SLT have been patient because Kumarasinghe is the brother of the incumbent President of the country. Nevertheless they have informed him , Ranil Wckremesinghe the P.M., or the finance minister Ravi Karunanayake or the new Telecom minister Mangala Smaraweera had not notified them of this , whereupon Kumarasinghe had said, he is the younger brother of the President , and he has been appointed as the new chairman of SLT by the secretary to the President.

On hearing this those officers have most courteously explained to him, the power to appoint the chairman and the board of Directors is vested not with the secretary to the President , and as a major part of the SLT comes under the purview of the Treasury , it is the secretary to the Treasury who has the power to make this appointment.

Kumrasinghe had then left the SLT along with Jayantha Thilakaratne the notorious fraud , only to return to the SLT in the evening with a letter from the Treasury secretary.

Later , 22nd morning ,he had ceremonially taken up appointment lighting the traditional oil lamps ,with religious ceremonies conducted by the Gangarama podi Hamaduruwo , the prelate who preaches bana (sermons) to the ousted Rajapakses .

To participate in the religious ceremonies , one notorious fraudster Thilakarathne not enough , another swindler was also invited to participate or rather pollute the religious ceremony. The other fraudster is ,Ranjith Roopasinghe the CEO of Mobitel who during the Rajapakse regime stooped so low as to submerge the Mobitel Co. in an ocean of illegal and murky activities.

Please read our news item dated 12 th January which reported about the petition of the Mobitel workers demanding that Roopasinghe who was involved in frauds be sentenced to jail under the new government which stands for good governance.

At today’s official ceremony, in addition a present Director of the Telecom Kalinga Indratissa , an infamous stooge of the villainous Rajapakses played a main role .

Like most of the ex Rajapakse regime’s corrupt incompetent top echelon officials , present Director Kalinga during the four years he was a Director had only attended two or three Board meetings , but has travelled abroad at public expense as many as about 50 times!

Strangely, reputed members of the Director board who were committed to their tasks did not attend the ceremonies. They are, former Telecom chairman Nimal Welgama , Jayantha Dharmadasa and Chaminda Rajapakse son of Chamal Rajapakse. Going by these officials who command respect not attending today’s ceremony of the new chairman, and notorious despicable Kalinga Indratissa participating , it is clearly manifest that SLT board of Directors is invaded by corrupt individuals like Kalingaya and Maga who invaded SL in ancient times.

As the Telecom belongs to the posts and Telecommunication ministry , with the allocation of new ministries ,Mangala Samaraweera has been appointed as its new minister after the

former Minister of Telecom was relieved of his responsibilities. Though Samaraweera is the Telecom minister , he was not aware of the appointment of the new chairman . Sadly , the secretary to the President , Abeykoon was ignorant of the procedure to be followed when appointing a chairman to Telecom. Surely if he had any knowledge he would not have sent the new chairman with the appointment letter like a peon.

Not only Lanka e news , but even a number of media Institutions warned President Maithripala Sirisena and Abeykoon who do not know protocol ,when appointing a vacuous secretary to the President who did not know even one language properly leave alone knowledge of two languages . The media were fully aware well ahead that better official conduct or performance cannot be anticipated from such nitwits.

As a responsible media Institution that has always championed the cause of the people , best reputed for exposing corruption at all levels , and acted in the best interests of the nation , we urge the people to be vigilant , as today’s untoward incident does not augur well and could well mark the beginning of a ‘Maithri regime’ which could be unbecoming when the people are agitating for and looking forward to good governance , as well as total eradication of despotic executive presidency powers.

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by     (2015-01-25 16:51:14)

Lankan economy will stay flat for now

The Mafia-State must be rooted prior to economic consolidation

by Kumar David-January 24, 2015, 4:43 pm 

For both domestic and international reasons the economic prospects for Lanka remain flat for the short and medium term periods ahead; short-term is the 100-Day duration of President Sirisena’s Action Plan and I use medium-term to denote the two-year transitional national government envisaged for the subsequent phase. It needs no great political acumen to make these two forecasts, the first is self-evident but some light may be shed by probing why this will be the case in the medium-term.

Lankan Economy Will Stay Flat for Now by Thavam Ratna

The Credibility Of The Media

By R.A. Ratwatte -January 24, 2015 

R.A. Ratwatte

The total lack of credibility of all sources of media in this Country is a major concern. We have seen the most incredible stories circulating, wild accusation flying around and the whole thing resembling a particularly ridiculous, cheap Bollywood drama.

Who do we believe? Or do we believe no body! Even the so called independent news papers that carried out an elaborate masquerade, during the dark days of the Rajapaksa regime have now been exposed.

The Daily Mirror was reporting rubbish and although they carried a facility to include comments, nothing detrimental to them was ever published.

The daily Island again carried out a very well disguised campaign but those of us who wrote vitriolic articles soon realised that they were never published. Basically what can we expect when the owner’s husband was holding a top Government job? In recent times, after the change, The daily Island also seems to have removed the velvet glove and started attacking the new regime. The danger here is that a section of the gullible public actually think the editor’s motives were pure. Editor himself has insidiously built up a “good man” image. Notice how no comments to articles are ever published here as well?

*Editors receives interest free car loan from Ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa

The Lake house papers are not worth even talking about! However just to play the devil’s advocate a few glimpses may be obtained on occasion, of a few quality journalist still surviving in that hotbed of political appointees.

The privately owned tabloids and TV stations have simply carried out their Masters’ wishes. Private agendas and intrigue and plots to try and shape the future of our Country based on the convoluted thinking of media owners has been par for the course.

We have even turned to radio stations owned by drug kingpins, in desperation!

What have we been reduced to? Our intelligence has been degraded, we are all taken for idiots who believe the figments of imagination that is published and broadcasted as news. What is important to remember here is that it is not only Rajapaksa and his sidekicks who took us for idiots! The So called “captains of Industry” were not slow to jump on the bandwagon and try to achieve their private agendas.

What options are left? The most radical would be to withdraw all licences for these fly by night operators’, draw up a code of conduct with clear legislation for recourse to those affected by libel and defamation and re-issue permits to interested parties.

Meanwhile we should encourage international newspapers to work out of Sri Lanka and thereby give the public properly researched stories with real credibility attached to them.

The current situation is a “madhouse” and if this Government is to survive and be able to complete their plans, a credible source of news is imperative.

A Game Changer for China and India in Sri Lanka?

India may be celebrating the election result in Sri Lanka, but China is in the region for the long haul.

By Kabir Taneja-January 25, 2015

On January 18, a Reuters reported claimed that Sri Lanka’s now former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, had expelled the station chief of India’s intelligence agency in Colombo after accusing him of working against his government and supporting the opposition.

A Game Changer for China and India in Sri Lanka by Thavam Ratna

Krishantha speaks his heart out on national politics and media

• Says presidential poll 2015 was David-Goliath fight- January 21, 2015 

The Daily FT spoke with UNP Working Committee Member, Media Director and Political Strategist for the Opposition, Krishantha Cooray about what led to the fall of a seemingly-invincible President Mahinda Rajapaksa and what the new political regime in the country under President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe could herald for Sri Lanka’s beleaguered and suppressed media fraternity. Following are excerpts:

UNP Working Committee Member, Media Director and Political Strategist for the Opposition, Krishantha Cooray
Krishantha Speaks His Heart Out on National Politics and Media by Thavam Ratna

CJ 44 won’t go; Govt and BASL losing patience

Peiris’ security pruned, lawyers to hold special meeting

• Sunday, January 25, 2015

Chief Justice 44 Mohan Peiris is refusing to relinquish office and now demanding a plum diplomatic posting in return for vacating his post despite a demand by the country’s lawyers that he step down.

His choice is either as Ambassador to the UN in New York or as High Commissioner in London, but Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has offered him Brazil, a National Unity Government source said yesterday.

“We are losing our patience. By deliberately delaying he is precipitating a serious situation that could hurt him the most”, the source added.
The development over the week came as Public Order Minister John Amaratunga told the Sunday Times he had ordered the pruning of the Chief Justice’s security detail from ten police officers to two.

“This is in accordance with his entitlement,” Minister Amaratunga said.

On Friday, Mr. Peiris was questioned by detectives of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over his presence at Temple Trees around 4 a.m. on January 9

when Presidential election results were being released by the Elections Commissioner. The National Unity Government maintains that there was an attempt at suspending the count and that the Chief Justice was providing legal advice to the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has called for the Chief Justice’s resignation on the grounds that he has failed to maintain his impartiality as required by the Constitution by his pre-dawn presence at ‘Temple Trees’.

Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapaskshe told the Sunday Times the Chief Justice had agreed to resign to three separate audiences. He was present at all three, he said.

“He agreed three times, once in the presence of the President and myself, secondly when the Premier and I discussed the matter with him, and thirdly when all three of us were present. He was negotiating with us for a diplomatic posting, and we finally agreed on Rome,” Mr. Rajapakshe said.

According to him, Mr. Peiris was expected to submit his resignation letter as Chief Justice and collect the appointment letter for his new posting last Wednesday evening. Although Mr. Peiris had come while the cabinet meeting was being held, no resignation was tendered or the appointment letter collected, Mr. Rajapakshe said.

“He later called the Presidential Secretary for an appointment and was scheduled to meet the President on Thursday at 8.30 a.m. at the Presidential Secretariat. But he did not turn up. We were waiting till 9.45 a.m. No further communication has been received from the Chief Justice since then,” he said.

During the week, Cabinet spokesman and Minister Rajitha Senaratne announced that the Chief Justice had told the Prime Minister he would resign but did not mention anything about being offered a diplomatic posting. The next day, a person claiming to be a spokesman for the Chief Justice, a Ratnapura lawyer, Wijeratne Kodippili denied that Mr. Peiris had offered his resignation.

Commenting on that incident, Minister Rajapakshe said that the Chief Justice had never been allocated a spokesman, nor had the recruitment of such personnel been approved by anyone. According to the Minister, the Government knows nothing about the person who issued a statement on behalf of the Chief Justice.

“We don’t even know if he is a Sri Lankan or not,” he said.

The BASL’s Executive Committee met again last afternoon and decided to summon the association’s 500 strong council members for a special meeting next Saturday to discuss the deadlock. The BASL Ex Co, the governing body of the country’s lawyers, will also meet the Bar seniors today and request an appointment with the President and Prime Minister next week, BASL President Upul Jayasuriya said.

He said the Chief Justice was contacting junior lawyers and seeking their support to sign a petition in support of him.

“The questioning of the Chief Justice by the CID — in his chambers — is the worst insult the country’s judiciary has faced in its more than 200-year history. The CJ 44 has now resorted to canvassing, lobbying and applying pressure on junior lawyers. This is unheard of. We will discuss the possible courses of actions when the council meets,” Mr. Jayasuriya said.On Friday, when the Sunday Times contacted Mr. Kodippili and asked him what the Chief Justice had to say about his presence at ‘Temple Trees’ on the night the Presidential election results were being released, he said he was not authorised by the Chief Justice to speak on that matter.

Heartbreaking News From Kekirilanthaya

By Sudat Pasqual -January 25, 2015 

Sudat Pasqual

1. President Sirisena has issued a Presidential Fatwa to halt all paper recycling in Sri Lanka and the Maldives till all real and imaginary missing government files since 2005 have been traced. When told that Maldives was not a colony of Sri Lanka, the President has thrown a temper tantrum and summoned the commanders of the armed forces for an explanation.

2. Furious to be told that Sri Lanka did not own the Maldives, President Sirisena has filed a grievance against the government of the Maldives in the Hague demanding Maldives to justify their need to hold on to all 1200 odd islands in the chain. According to President Sirisena the Maldives has more islands than McDonald’s has outlets in Asia.

3. Maldives will donate 12 out of 1200 islands to President Sirisena as a gesture of goodwill. In return, President Sirisena has promised to ban the use of DDT on vegetables.

4. President of Maldives will become a member of Sri Lanka’s cabinet.

5. The new Minister of Finance Joseph K aka Ravi K has declared that SATHOSA will be merged with the Sunday Leader. The Minister also vowed to do to the economy what he did to SATHOSA.

6. The Prime Minister has decided to create a Ministry for Creative and Imaginary Vengeance. He explained that there was way too much manpower wasted with every Dissanayake, Ramanayake and Senasinghe running around like headless chickens looking for smoking Rajapaksas under everyone’s sarong and saree. He has appointed MP’s Sherlock Hadunhetti and Watson Senasinghe to spearhead the search for imaginary files and almost true crimes of passion

7. All 10 members of the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) have unanimously decided to declare January 9 as “Today we are all Sinhalese Buddhist Chauvinist Pigs Day” In a retaliatory move the 3 human like forms of the BBS and the 4 emoticon members unanimously decided to declare the same day as “Over our dead Emoticon Body and Form Day.”

8. The newly formed Sri Lankan government has announced that white vans will be immediately replaced by 30 seat buses to carry out the same duties in order to reduce overheads. This act is estimated save approximately Rs.1 million per abductee. The abductees will also be given a simple diet of hoppers as their last meal (one meal per abductee).

9. Criminal Investigations Department (CID) sleuths have discovered that Namal Rajapakse was called “Baba” because of his fondness for Haitian sociopath Baby Doc Duvalier.

10. The Government has announced that it will take up the trivial matter or governing the country once the 100 days of imaginative speculation and wild accusations are done with.

11. Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) has been forced to look outside the country to find eminent and honest people to man the 10,000 commissions of inquiry to be established in the first 100 days of the Just Society program. President Sirisena explained that most of the eminent Sri Lankans are not honest and most of the honest ones are not eminent. Bloody hell, he said.

12. The United National Party has informed the Speaker that they have donated Palitha Thewarrapperuma to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party as an act of goodwill. Top of Form

*Sudat Pasqual is the Incompetent Authority on Irreverent Irrelevant Implausible News, Kekirilanthaya

Wele Sudha scandal: Shocking revelations

( January 25, 2015, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian)  A scandal of huge proportions is set to break as Criminal Investigation Department (CID) detectives continue to question ‘Wele Sudha’, the Sri Lankan drug lord arrested in Pakistan. He is the mastermind of a major drug smuggling ring between the two countries. The man, whom one detective described as Pablo Escobar, the one who ran the Columbian drug mafia until he was tracked down, is now spilling the beans. It is already known that Sudha’s main link with those connected with the previous UPFA Government was a young politician, a rich playboy, who had powerful connections and an equally powerful underworld mafia.

The young politician was so lavish that he gifted Rolex wrist watches to some of the top UPFA politicians. On one occasion, he gave a similar watch and gold bangles to his girlfriend, also a politician then, and wanted them returned when he fell out with her. A leading UPFA personality had to intervene to have them returned and to reach a settlement without recourse to Police.

It has now been revealed that the young politician’s best pal then was a former Police Chief with a spurious track record. If he chose to learn the art of diplomacy after shedding his uniform, the man serving abroad was called in last year to run the law and order machinery. He did the job forgetting the law and causing chaotic disorder.

When the January 8 poll was over, the man flew out of Sri Lanka with his family to a West Asian capital. How he literally vanished is intriguing. He went to the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) with his armed security escort. He told his men that he would return after saying farewells to his wife and daughter.

So the escorts waited and their anxiety grew as hours passed by. Suspecting that all was not well, they made inquiries. They were told that he was two hours into a flight to a West Asian capital. He had given his own men the slip.

Sudha has alleged that at the request of the young politico, known for his gun toting antics against his rivals, he built a luxury house in Kadawatha for the one time top cop. Needless to say it cost millions of rupees. Now, the detectives are probing whether another member of the ex-Police chief’s family, who flew with a diplomatic passport to Dubai regularly was smuggling gems on behalf of a businessman.

The young politico, it was then known, was in the habit of visiting the one time top cop’s residence almost every evening. It is alleged that the former top cop even ordered the arrest of members of rival gangs in the drug trade. More proof of their close association came when the duo travelled together to Russia on a holiday.

According to External Affairs Ministry sources, Wele Sudha who was arrested in Pakistan had been interrogated by the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), that country’s premier intelligence organisation. They had elicited details of the drug smuggling ring that operated between Pakistan and Sri Lanka including the names of the key functionaries.

An Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and an Inspector flew to Pakistan to escort Sudha to Colombo. They returned on a Mihin Air flight on November 17 from Lahore.  Detectives say that they would question the one time top cop currently overseas over the revelations they have recorded.