Ambalanthota protests against slashing of fertilizer subsidy

WEDNESDAY, 09 DECEMBER 2015 

All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation held a protest campaign and commenced a continuous ‘Sathyagraha’ at Ambalanthota today (9th) to protest against the move by ‘Yahapalana’ government to slash fertilizer subsidy.

The farmer protest campaign held under the theme ‘Stop slashing, Provide fertilizer subsidy!’ was attended by the National Organizer of All Ceylon Farmer s’ Federation Namal Karunaratna, the convener of Giruwapaththu United Farmers’ Association and Provincial Council Member  Sisira Kumara, leaders of farmers’ associations and a large number  of farmers.

Liquidity in SL’s banking system expected to tighten in medium term

By Hiran H.Senwiratne-December 8, 2015

The current level of liquidity in Sri Lanka’s banking system is adequate with the statutory liquidity ratio in the domestic book at 36 per cent, Moody’s Investors Service reported.

"The liquidity in Sri Lanka’s banking system should tighten over the outlook horizon, as we are expecting annual loan growth of around 20 percent, faster than deposit growth of 16 percent in the banking sector, Moody’s Vice President and Senior Credit Officer Srikanth Vadlamani said.

"As a result, banks’ funding profiles will be under pressure, as they need to increase their dependence on more expensive sources of borrowing, including foreign-currency borrowings, he revealed in Moody’s annual outlook update for Sri Lanka’s banking system, titled "Banking System Outlook — Sri Lanka: Continued Growth Drives Stable Outlook"

Sri Lanka’s banking sector is hit by higher taxes, cessation of leasing business and the government guarantee on finance company deposits, Asia Securities (Private) Limited said.

According to an analysis carried out into the post-budget impact on banks by Asia Securities, the tax revisions alone will have a bottom-line impact of 8 to 14 percent on the earnings of the banking sector.They take a negative view on the commercial banking industry with the changes introduced in the 2016 budget proposals.

However, Sri Lanka’s continued GDP growth is driving the stable outlook for Sri Lanka’s banking system, Moody said in its latest report.

"While seeing some slowdown compared to the growth rates seen in 2013-14, GDP growth in Sri Lanka should remain healthy at 6.7 percent over 2015-16. And an accommodative monetary policy should support this growth outlook, it said.

"In addition, greater participation from private sector in investments, compared to what was seen over the past few years, should provide an impetus to loan growth, Vadlamani said.

Asset quality of Sri Lankan banking system has improved over the past 18 months, with the gross non-performing loan ratio coming down to 4.3 percent in June 2015 from 5.6 percent in December 2013.

Problems in the pawning sector — the key reason for the pick-up in nonperforming loans in the recent past — have been addressed.

At the same time, banks’ underwriting standards have been fairly tight over the past two years, as reflected in loan growth of only 14 percent over 2013-14.

Moody’s says profitability will remain stable over the next 12-18 months, despite moderate pressure on net interest margins.

On the one hand, net interest margins will remain under pressure, primarily due to the low interest rate environment. On the other hand, banks will benefit from positive operating leverage as loan growth picks up, leading to an improvement in their cost-to-income ratios.

Some banks will also benefit from lower credit costs as the higher credit costs associated with pawning NPLs may no longer be required.

Sri Lankan Migrant Workers & The Case Of The 45-Year-Old Married Mother

By Imtiyaz Razak –December 9, 2015

Dr. Imtiyaz Razak

Sri Lanka Experiences: Neo-liberalism, the rise of migrant workers and the case of the 45-year-old married mother

Sources suggest that a Saudi court has decided to reopen the case of a Sri Lankan woman who was sentenced to death by stoning for adultery. The 45-year-old married mother of two was convicted in August because she was allegedly participated in the adultery with the man, also from Sri Lanka. The fact is that “the man was sentenced to only 100 lashes while the woman was sentenced to death by stoning.” The latest development related to the 45-year-old married mother of two is rather positive. “Deputy Foreign Minister Harsha de Silva told parliament that an appeals court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, has decided to hear the case again following pleas by Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry. “Based on the advice of the lawyers and our (foreign ministry’s) intervention on the matter, a decision has been reached to reopen the case,” de Silva told lawmakers.”

Now it is the time to discuss the question why do those people go to countries such as Saudi Arabia in the Gulf? The answers are not so complicated. We know some answers. One answer is associated with poverty, and countries like Sri Lanka’s inability to create equal conditions for all people to seek equal economic opportunities. Some blamed Saudi wahabbism. Actually, it is not Wahabi barbarism, as alleged by Dr. Ameer Ali, killed 45-year-old married mother of two, but the very neo-liberal economic system that Sri Lanka has been practicing contributed to econonomic marginalization and polarization.

When sufferings occur, when killing hit our society, when inhumanity dominate our polity, we rather than targeting the roots of all evils, tend to blame the results and actors associated with the results. The fact is that if Sri Lanka is able to provide safer economic security and conditions for all to seek upward economic mobility, it is very unlikely Sri Lanka’s economically marginalized would choose to go out of Sri Lanka to win their bread and butter. In plain words, it is Sri Lanka’s neo-liberal economic system contribute to the sufferings. Sri Lanka’s neo-liberal economic system has history of discriminating it’s own people. Rebellion by the JVP mainly from the south both in 1971 and 1987 rooted in economic marginalization of Sinhalese. The rise of Sri Lanka’s brutal ethnic conflict, which killed more100, 000 since it’s inception, had been rooted in Sri Lanka’s economic modernization program engineered by Sinhala elites and politicians from 1956. Now the LTTE, which challenged the state violently, either silenced their guns by themselves or they were forced to silence their guns, but the fact is that there was and is economic origin to Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict.Read More

Yasara’s SMS to Namal!

Dec 09, 2015

Namal Rajapaksa, the eldest son of the former president, yesterday (08) received an SMS message from Yasara Abeynayake, ex-CEO of CSN channel and former girlfriend of Yoshitha Rajapaksa.

It said, “I told the FCID everything I know. Within days, they will summon all directors. Tell them to be prepared to go inside.” Yasara’s message has left Namal, Yoshitha and all directors of CSN baffled.

A short time after the message was received, an official of the FCID telephoned CSN directors and told them to be present on Tuesday (15) to give statements.

Following summons, Abeynayake yesterday went to the FCID and gave a lengthy statement with regard to CSN. Rajapaksa sons and their friends say she has betrayed all. Most probably, she will become a witness of the state.

‘Yaha Paalanaya’ forgotten: ‘Sathhanda’ editor & deputy to 4th floor!

Dec 09, 2015

Just 11 months have gone by since the ‘Yaha Paalana’ government came to power by promising to safeguard media freedom, but it has already blatantly violated and ordered ‘Sathhanda’ editor, Vanguard Party leader Deepthi Kumara Gunaratne and deputy editor Subhash Jayawardena, who is also editor of ‘lankadaily’ website, to be present at the 4th floor of the CID at 10.00 am tomorrow (10) to obtain a statement with regard to an interview published in the newspaper.

They are to be questioned regarding the publication of an interview given by Avant Garde head, retired Maj. Nissanka Senadhipathi, in which he has offended the so-called good names of three ministers. Jayawardena has conducted the interview and wrote the article in question.

Recently, minister Rajitha Senaratne complained to the IGP that he and two other ministers have been insulted by that particular article. Based on that complaint, the CID summoned Senadhipathi and questioned him for nearly three hours and recorded a statement yesterday.

As he was being questioned, Senaratne gave seven to eight telephone calls and insisted that Senadhipathi should be arrested. The CID officers firmly told him, “Mr. minister, let us do our job. Senadhipathi is a cunning one. If we dance to the ministers’ tunes, we will end up at the Supreme Court. Not even the attorney general will represent us. In the end, we will have to pay the lawyers’ fees by our beggarly salary which we earn to feed our little ones. Then, you will look the other way.”

Senadhipathi has maintained that what ‘Sathhanda’ has published was “nothing but the absolute truth,” and added he has audio and documentary evidence to support the claims.

Commenting on this, editor Gunaratne said, “This government came to power with a promise that the wrongs done by the previous government would not be repeated. This government is 11 months old. It has very quickly forgotten the promises it had given around this time last year at platforms throughout the country. They forget the reasons that caused the previous government to go home. Very soon, they too, will have to go home like them.”

During the Rajapaksa regime, on 29 June 2012, together with the Sri Lanka Mirror editorial, Jayawardena, the then editor of UNP’s 'xnews' website, was arrested by the CID, and the case against them on the charge of defamating the Rajapaksas is presently pending indefinitely. None of the computers seized by the CID have been returned to Sri Lanka Mirror editorial. Lawyers say they are being kept to bring out at the appropriate time.

Nimal, Welgama lock horns

By Gagani Weerakoon and Skandha Gunasekara-2015-12-10

Former and incumbent Transport Ministers locked horns in Parliament yesterday over the non-payment of EPF monies to SLTB employees when the final stage of the debate...... on Budget 2016 dealt with allocations to the Ministry of Transport.
Incumbent Transport Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva alleged that SLTB members had not been paid during the tenure of Kalutara District MP Kumara Welgama as the Minister of Transport.

A heated argument ensued when MP Welgama countered the Transport Minister's allegation.
MP Welgama: "Do not talk like a baby who does not know anything."
Minister de Silva: "You are the one who talks like a baby. You talk as if nothing wrong happened during your tenure in office."
MP Welgama: Even today the SLTB is managed with the help of buses that I brought down. You know nothing. You do not know how difficult it was to bring them down.

Minister de Silva: Yes...Yes... you are the one who knows everything. We know nothing. You know so much but still could not pay the EPF and ETF contributions to the SLTB members. Now I am paying for your sins.
MP Welgama: I am accused of filling SLTB vacancies with my people. What about you. You too did the same when you were the Minister of Health. At that time even at employees at the Mathugama Hospital were from Badulla, your electorate.
Minister de Silva: I am not talking about filling SLTB vacancies. You are talking big but could not pay the EPF dues. We will somehow do what you could not do.

SC judge in sexual abuse case accused of threatening to kill victim – medico-legal report

By Chitra Weerarathne-December 9, 2015, 8:40 am 

A domestic aide of Justice Sarath de Abrew, the Judge of the Supreme Court, has told a Judicial Medical Officer that she was sexually assaulted by Justice de Abrew at his residence. The complainant had told the doctor that the petitioner threatened to kill her if she revealed the incident, the Additional Solicitor General, Yasantha Kodagoda, President’s Counsel told the Supreme Court while reading a medico-legal report.

Kodagoda said that criminal proceedings had already been initiated in the High Court against Justice Sarath de Abrew, the petitioner in the fundamental rights violation plea. A criminal prosecution is also pending inquiry in the Magistrate’s Court of Colombo. 

The ASG submitted to the Supreme Court a copy of the indictment filed in the High Court by the Attorney General together with the medico-legal report and a list of witnesses.

The medico-legal report is by a medico-legal consultant. It was issued by the Director General of Health Services.

The Attorney General has considered the material submitted to court to indict De Abrew.

The complainant is N. Damayanthi, married with two children. She left her home because her husband beat her. She lived with Lakmali Perera, daughter of the estranged husband’s brother.

Damayanthi arrived at the Mt. Lavinia police station at 12.15 am on June 27 to lodge a complaint. The station duty officer was on duty. He was Sergeant Priyantha. There was another constable Pushpakumara to receive complaints.

Pushpakumara observed that the complainant had a black, swollen left eye, several abrasions on the chest and a large contusion on the right hand side. There were blood patches on the palm of the right hand. Her hair was dishevelled. She looked frightened. The complainant was the only female at the police station at that time.

She said that she had responded to a newspaper advertisement and came to work on June 15, 2015. She identified the petitioner as a judge of the Supreme Court.

She an allegation of assault against the daughter of the petitioner. The first allegation was against the daughter.

The complainant said she had been assaulted by the petitioner with a pistol. She was assaulted on the head and the eye, she said. That evening on June 26, she was assaulted for two hours by the petitioner. Injuries on head and shoulder were caused by a pistol.

The petitioner threatened the complainant that if she left the house she would be charged for theft of money and jewellery and further her children would be killed.

 The police issued a hospital ticket. She was admitted at 1.45 a.m. to the Kalubowila Hospital. She was taken to the accident ward by the hospital authorities.

The hospital authorities knew whether a patient needed to be admitted to the accident, the Additional Solicitor General said.

 Nothing was planned by the state, he added.

W. J. Rohana Abeysekera, the driver, was given a telephone call in the morning by the petitioner. He said there was an emergency and summoned him early. The driver went at 6.30 a.m. The petitioner wanted the driver to check whether she had been at the police station or in hospital. If the complainant was not assaulted how Justice De Abrew could expect her to be in the police station or hospital, the ASG asked.

Later, Justice De Abrew met an Attorney, at Mt. Lavinia, near the cemetery. They proceeded to the Kalubowila Hospital. Mrs De Abrew was also on that trip. The petitioner asked the wife to have the victim discharged from hospital. Justice Sarath de Abrew, his wife and the lawyer went to the accident ward and spoke to the complainant. Thereby they had interfered with the investigation, the ASG explained.

The petitioner, his wife and lawyer wanted the complainant to get discharged and then warded at a private hospital. The petitioner offered to compensate her. They surrounded the bed. The doctors could not see the patient.

The nurse told the doctor in charge of the ward that some lawyers had come and attempted to take away the patient. A doctor in his statement told the investigations.

Then, the JMO, Dr Ms. Kanshali Kamnayake arrived in the Accident Ward.

On the morning of June 27, 2015 the JMO spoke to the complainant patient who said that she had been assaulted with the pistol butt.

At 10.20 a.m., she revealed that she was victim of a sexual assault. The petitioner sexually assaulted and threatened that she had left having robbed jewellery and money, the Additional Solicitor General, said reading a statement given by the complainant.

The complainant revealed sexual assault by the petitioner, when the JMO of the Kalubowila Hospital spoke to her; she expressed the fear of getting killed by the petitioner.

Later the medical officers of the hospital arranged for police protection to this patient. She was transferred from the Accident Ward to the JMO’s office under police protection.

Taking into consideration all those events one could understand that the complainant had been sexually assaulted in the night of June 15, the ASG said.

At the JMO’s office, the complainant was asked to write her complaint n her own hand-writing as the complaint was against a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court. The complainant patient was in hospital for three weeks.

The JMO observed four injuries on the petitioner due to assault with a pistol. She had also sustained injury while jumping over a parapet wall, the Additional Solicitor General said, reading out a medico-legal report. There was a healed abrasion on the chest. The complainant did not want to make a false allegation against the petitioner, the ASG said. The JMO’s observation corroborated the statement by the complainant.

The JMO wanted the complainant examined by a psychiatrist. The consultant psychiatrist examined her on June 29, 2016. Dr. Manoja Kulatunga noted that the complainant had significant symptoms suggestive of post-traumatic stress, disorder following alleged, sexual, physical and emotional abuse, the Additional Solicitor General explained.

The ASG said the psychological impact on the abused victim would have caused a delay in the complaint reporting sexual abuse.

The bench comprised Chief Justice K. Sripavan, Justice Priyantha Jayawardane and Justice Upali Abeyratne.

Proceedings resume on Dec. 11.

The ‘digital TV gold mine’ created by Rajapakses to earn billions secretly and selfishly destroyed by P.M. Ranil..!

(Lanka-e-News -09.Dec.2015, 11.30PM) A massive  corruption oriented  effort to make all television users in Sri Lanka (SL) to pay commissions to the Rajapakses not only today but everyday even  in the future which would have precipitated a catastrophe in the country , had been forestalled and  the nation had been saved owing to the patriotic fervor and intelligent thinking of the new prime minister.   Even through spurious  development programs illicit commission collections have been targeted by Machiavellian Mahinda Rajapakse.  

This colossal corruption involves  the potential conversion of the television Industry into digital system via an agreement between the lawless Rajapakses who are by now a byword for corrupton and Japan . However this has been now halted . The background to this racket is as follows :

It is true  telecasting is being made digital worldwide and there  is a telecasting system which is accepted by the majority globally. That system is the DVBT 2 system.However Japan has introduced  other systems. That is , ISDBT system.This is similar to the NTSC system introduced to the world for video technology parallel to the PAL system used worldwide in the past. Those Sri Lankans who used an  NTSC video recorder then met with  disastrous problems later on. It was the casette recorder in line with PAL system that was produced world wide then , while the NTSC system fell into disuse.

The telecasting system is as follows :

While the world was using the DVBT2 system , Japan discovered the ISDBT system . In SL , the Medamulana Rajapakse morons who know not the world except through illicit commissions collected worldwide,  when trying to introduce the ISDBT  telecasting digital system here have signed an agreement with Japan involving US dollars 108 million.That is , when Japan is intoducing the digital system as per the agreement , Japan will be providing us with a Highway from Peliyagoda to Kollupitiya, but that  is not provided  free ,for Japan has to be paid for this later as a loan. In othe words , it was a subterfuge  to collect illicit commissions while pulling the wool over the nation.

The most treacherous and rudely shocking part of this camouflage is , nowehere else in the world the ISDBT system is used. That means a television used in any other country cannot be used in SL . Only televisions of Japan according to the ISDBT system can be used  here. 

Believe it or not , despite these glaring unwelcome data and facts ,  the Rajapakses whose gaze are  fixed only on earning selfishly and on illicit commissions regardless of national interests have signed the agreement with Japan nevertheless. This agreement is to remit  commissions to   the company that is brought into being by the Rajapakses when any  individual brings a television set into SL.

Unfortunately for the corrupt self serving Rajapakses , and fortunately for the people of the country , on 8 th January , the corrupt Rajapakse lawless scoundrels were  thrown out lock , stock and barrel , and with that the disaster that was in store for the country owing to them also ebbed away. 

The new P.M. Ranil Wickremesinghe acting in the best interests of the nation had told Japan that this agreement has to be reviewed. 

Accordingly , a technology committee has been formed  constituted of all telecasting companies and other scientists to study the ISDBT system of Japan , and the DVBT 2 system adopted by other countries with P.M.’s instructions to furnish a report on their findings. Japan and other countries enlightened the committee on their systems .Finally , the technological committee has decided it is the DVBT 2 system used globally that is most suitable for SL.

In any case , based on reports reaching Lanka e news inside information division , the Machiavellian Rajapakses skilled in perfidies and collecting commissions most craftily  have already collected their commissions at the time of signing the agreement with Japan. Therefore Japan to make up for its loss has desperately sought various avenues via payment of bribes to various individuals in order to plant its system in SL , but without avail. 

Thanks for the rainbow revolution of 8th January, but for which the country would have been driven into the vortex of another economic curse , now buried  because of the probity of the  new P.M.
 

---------------------------
by     (2015-12-09 19:50:29)

Education ministry tenders sold underhand

 

Dec 09, 2015

The former Rajapaksa regime started a shoes distribution project for the school children’s under the education ministry and all school children’s would receive new shoes every year. This was a very essential and timely project as shoes are a part of the official school uniform. Under this project annually six to seven lakhs of shoes are distributed among the school children’s. 

The current government also has decided to continue this project considering the importance. This time in order to distribute shoes the education ministry has called tenders from shoe manufacturing companies and five companies have given their quotations.

When calling tenders the companies should give quotations for all sizes of shoes and relevant companies should be manufacturing school shoes for more than three years. Meantime these applicants should have obtained a quality certificate from Industrial Technical Institute (ITI), Industrial Development Board (IDB), Sri Lanka Textile Mills and Sri Lanka Apparel Industry (SLITA)
These tenders are not given to an individual company but distributed among a group of companies is because none of the companies are capable of fulfilling the complete tender order. Meantime the reason for distributing these tenders to few companies is to prevent the building of monopoly in the school shoes industry.

The following are the quotations announced by the education ministry during the opening of the final tender

DSI
Small size 9-11 Rs. 813.00
Average size 12-1 Rs. 850.00
Average size 2-4 Rs. 887.00
Average size 5-8 Rs. 931.00
Average size 9-10 Rs. 1078.00

Sarasavi (Ogel)
Small size 8-11 Rs. 820.00
Small size 12-1 Rs. 870.00
Small size 2-4 Rs. 920.00
Small size 5-10 Rs. 1020.00

Phoenix

Small size 10-11 Rs. 800.00
Average size 12-1 Rs. 844.00
Average size 2-4 Rs. 872.00
Average size 5-8 Rs. 922.00
Average size 9-10 Rs. 1075.00

Bata

Small size 9-11 Rs. 766.00
Average size 12-1 Rs. 810.00
Average size 2-4 Rs. 856.00
Average size 5-8 Rs. 900.00
Average size 9-10 Rs. 1050.00

Kevin Polymer
Small size 8-11 Rs. 783.00
Average size 12-1 Rs. 821.00
Average size 2-4 Rs. 851.00
Average size 5-7 Rs. 896.00

These companies have not given prices for sizes eight, nine and ten

Meantime these companies don’t have experience in manufacturing school shoes for more than three years.

The education ministry tender committee has decided to offer this tender to a single company for the first time when this project was started. When giving the tender despite there are companies given lower quotations the tender committee has selected DSI which has quoted a higher price. Apart this committee has decided to give an order of 50,000 shoes for the Kevin Polymers which has fulfilled the initial requirements of the tender procedures.

Although the last year tender was to supply six laks of shoes, DSI following obtaining the tender to supply four laks of shoes was unable to fulfill the tender. Phoenix shoes came forward and supplied 40,000 shoes which were unable to supply by the DSI.

When all other companies has submitted the tender documents with relevant standard certificates the tender committee has rejected them citing many technical reasons.

In order to get the cabinet approval the tender committee has falsely informed the cabinet that it selected the lowest tender. Although the other companies have urged the tender committee to give a valid explanation of their selection criteria the tender committee has failed to do so.

According to inside sources pressure has been exerted to an accountant and few persons in the tender committee and a large kick backs has been given to obtain the tender.

Meantime similar to this fraud shoes tender a fraud group of people working in the education ministry has decided to offer the school uniform tender to a known person by passing all tender procedures. When the information leaked the education minister has decided to distribute vouchers to the students instead of distributing official uniforms. We wish to disclose more information in the future regarding this.

Rs. 2.9 bn of CEB Welfare Fund missing

2015-12-09 15
A complaint would be lodged today with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) by Ceylon Electricity Board’s (CEB) Chairman to probe into missing Rs.2.9 billion belonging to CEB Welfare Fund that had been invested in Treasury Bonds through a private company in 2009.

The Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy today stated that according to a Central Bank statement issued on December 31, 2014 Rs. 2.9 billion had been unaccounted for.

An investigation carried out by the CEB Internal Audit Branch had revealed that the 2.9 billion had been withdrawn in 2009 by the particular private company and had already been sold out.

“The money belonged to CEB Welfare Fund has been withdrawn even without an approval from the CEB, the investigation had found,” the Ministry said.

Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitya informed the CEB Chairman to complain with the CID to launch a thorough investigation into the issue. (Piyumi Fonseka) - See more at: http://www.dailymirror.lk/98835/rs-2-9-bn-of-ceingwelfare-fund-missing#sthash.XTM4sI9U.dpuf

Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Corrupt Since Time Of COPE Chairmanship: Photos Reveal

December 10, 2015 

Exposing the conflict of interest between the Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe and the Chairman of Avant Garde Nisssanka Senadhipathi, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka challenged Minister Rajapakshe to explain the truth regarding his personal relationship between himself and Nissanka Senadhipathi.

The photographs which have emerged showing a close familial bond between Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and Chairman of Avante Garde were taken in January 2006.

Rajapakshe, a former member of the SLFP and a state minster of the Rajapaksa led administration had a close personal relationship with Senadhipathi during the time he was appointed as Chairman of the parliamentary watchdog COPE.

A few weeks ago Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe speaking tothe media lied about his relationship with Senadipathi, going on record saying that he has had no dealings with the controversial businessmen.

The photos released by Sarath Fonseka show a close relationship going beyond a proffessional one, with families of the duo seen together.

Following the 2005 presidential elections, President Mahinda Rajapaksa appoint him the Minister of State Banking Development in November 2005,

Wijeyadasa was appointed as the Minister of State Banking Development by Mahinda Rajapaksa. However, he resigned thereafter in April 2006 and took over as Chairman of COPE in July 2006.

Rajapakshe said in several interviews that the Attorney General had consistently maintained that there was no criminal case against the Company.

However, earlier Colombo Telegraph revealed that Rajapakshe had lied, providing documentary proof that the Attorney Generals Department had advised that Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Senadipathi were both criminally liable for their hand in the Avante Garde scandal.Read More

Prevention of Corruption Act to be amended

Thursday, 10 December 2015

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption in collaboration with Transparency International, the public and private sectors and civil society activists organised a ‘Walk Against Corruption’ and a commemoration ceremony to coincide with International Anti-Corruption Day 2015 yesterday. Here Director General Dilrukshi Dias Bandaranayake (right) with J Weliamuna at the walk – Pix by Shehan Gunasekara

Amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act will be formulated, enabling the Commission to Investigate Allegation of Bribery or Corruption to work freely and independently.
Addressing the concluding ceremony of the ‘Walk Against Corruption’ held yesterday at Independence Square, President Maithripala Sirisena said he would make every arrangement for the institutions which work for prevention of corruption to work in a free and fair manner without any political influence.

He further said that the requests made by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption would be presented to Parliament and necessary Cabinet approvals would be taken to implement them.
The walk was organised by Transparency International Sri Lanka and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, in line with International Anti-Corruption Day.
The President noted that this was the first time a president of Sri Lanka was participating in an Anti-Corruption Walk. He pointed out that former Governments did not have the ability to mark this day with the people and the organisations working for the prevention of corruption.
“Today the people are enjoying the 19th Amendment to the Constitution brought about by the new Government they elected on 8 January. Measures have been taken to free this country from bribery and corruption through this amendment, fulfilling the expectations of the people,” the President said.
The Sri Lanka Anti-Corruption Integrity Award was presented posthumously to the late Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero and the former Editor of Ravaya newspaper Victor Ivan at the ceremony.
Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya, Ministers Sagala Rathnayaka and Malik Samarawickrama, Deputy Ministers Harsha de Silva, Karunarathne Paranawithana and Ajith P. Perera, MP Sunil Handunneththi, Chairman of the Commission to Investigate Allegation of Bribery or Corruption T.B. Weerasuriya and Director General Dilrukshi Dias Bandaranayake also participated in this event.

Avant Garde chief summoned to CID; Rajitha makes 7 calls to CID to arrest Senadhipathy

JVP Anura’s wild accusations pulverized once and for all.!

(Lanka-e-News -09.Dec.2015, 11.30PM)  The chief of Avant Garde Nissanka Senadhipathy was summoned to the CID to record   a statement last noon .This is a sequel to the complaints made by Ministers Rajtha Senaratne , Champika Ranawake and Arjuna Ranatunge.

Rajitha Senaratne had  mentioned in his  complaint that  in the phone call conversation exchanged with Lanka e news, it was revealed  that Rajitha Senaratne received a sum of Rs. 5 million from Senadhipathy and this was published , and  moreover , Senadhipathy ‘s media statements are a threat to the complainants.

A spokesman for the CID speaking to Lanka e news said , though the complaints of the ministers ought to be recorded in the minor complaints  register  of the police , the IGP had directed those complaints  to the CID. 

Senadhipathy on the other hand has forwarded all the vital evidence in proof of payment made  to Rajitha , as well as additional evidence to the CID ,. While Senadhipathy was  being questioned , Rajitha had given 7 calls and insisted that the CID  takes Senadhpathy into custody ,the spokesman for the CID added. 

It is significant to note that since the government of good governance was installed in power , the president , the Prime Minister or the minister in charge of the police has never phoned the CID and interfered with the investigations.  Rajitha ‘s conduct is most reprehensible therefore , and   the only option that was available to the CID was   to  refrain from answering Rajitha’s calls any further  , the spokesman for the CID  told Lanka e news.

JVP Anura’s wild accusations pulverized once and for all.!

Meanwhile ,JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake convening a media briefing charged that his revelations made in regard to Avant Garde Co. are not being reported by the media    , and the media personnel have taken bribes from Avant Garde Co. He has in his possession evidence to substantiate his allegation , and in the future he would expose them, Anura Kumara threatened.

He also added , that during the period when media were stifled and gagged , it was he who championed their cause. Sadly, Anura Kumara who charged that media personnel took bribes  , did not utter  a word about Rajitha Senaratne ‘s  bribe  which he exposed with voice tapes .

A senior journalist who has long experience regarding media repression , making reference  to Anura Kumara’s statements , revealed to Lanka e news , when Anura Kumara was working full time for the JVP , the latter set fire to 'Aththa' newspaper office twice , the Sama Samaja ‘Janadina’ newspaper office twice , killed by shooting the editor of 'Janadina' cum publisher ‘Wimalasena sahodaraya’ within the Janadina office itself. It is a pity , Anura Kumara has conveniently forgotten all his putrid past , but the senior journalists of the country have not forgotten his past , the senior journalist reminded.

The JVP killed journalists in  cold blood during that period because ‘they did not report what we say .’  Not only were journalists but even newspaper vendors ,and newspaper sales agents  were murdered. Neither Anura Kumara nor the JVP had until today ever  asked for pardon for their rash and ruthless actions . They don’t even whisper a word about them , but  they never forget to commemorate the killers every year ,  the senior journalist pinpointed.

When commemorating the murderous JVP  leaders killed by the government by  lighting lamps , it is a matter for deep regret , Anura Kumara and the JVP never remember to light just one  lamp at least  in memory of the many thousands of civilians  who were killed brutally by them . The  present leader of the JVP  Anura Kumara and  the JVP haven’t  the common courtesy to spare a thought  to light a  lamp even for senior journalists Henry Pamunuwa and Wimalasena who died  . 

It is very unfortunate  the JVP and its leader  have not only forgotten their  moral obligations but even taken leave of their  senses when making such stupid utterances, the senior journalist bemoaned. 

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by     (2015-12-09 19:58:06)

CB Governor Mahendran Is Missing In Action: Opposition

December 9, 2015 

“If current economic affairs keep continuing, the value of the rupee will end up at 150 against the Dollar” opposition lawmaker Bandula Gunawardane said last night.

The Central Bank Governor – Arjuna Mahendran

Addressing a news conference in Colombo he said; the joint opposition would report to the newly appointed Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) regarding the controversial Treasury Bonds issue once the budget period was passed in parliament. The Treasury Bonds Sale was the main reason for the record depreciation of the rupee against the US Dollar.”

“Central Banak Governor Arjuna Mahendran who is responsible for these outcomes is nowhere to be seen. If someone needs to meet him, they would have to travel to Singapore to reach the governor.” Gunawardane said.

Issuing a statement in last March regarding the controversial Treasury bond issue of 27 February, the Transparency International Sri Lanka said; “TISL is of the view that there is a clear case of insider dealing which is a form of corruption, which can only be unearthed with a credible investigation. The public has a right to know who were exactly involved in the questionable insider dealing.

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