Sanctity of justice deflowered by unscrupulous judges like Dehideniya and Gunaratne..! -Crooked Gota who robbed 91 million public funds encouraged not punished..!

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(Lanka-e-News - 29.Nov.2017, 11.55PM)  The two shameless unscrupulous appeal court  judges Lakshman Tikiri Bandara Dehideniya and Shiran Gunaratne  deflowered the sanctity of justice in broad daylight by delivering a most atrocious verdict today (29) in the case against notorious  ex defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse .These two judicial villains  issued an interim restraining order to immediately halt the legal action that is being taken under the Public Property Act  against Gotabaya who robbed Rs. 91 million of public funds to construct a mausoleum for his dead parents . This court order  also  averted  the arrest of Gotabaya until the 6 th of December .

This rudely shocking interim restraining order was issued following a writ petition filed by lawyers , Sanath Wijewardena and Romesh De Silva on behalf of Gota. The application prayed  to issue  a writ declaring the B report  60485 / 4/ 15 based on the public Property Act    submitted by the ASP to the Galle magistrate court as  null and void.

The petitioners alleged that the expenditure    of  Rs. 91 million of public funds to build the late D.A. Rajapkase mausoleum was  a civil transaction involving the D.A. Rajapakse foundation and Land reclamation and development Board, and  the ‘crime’ therefore cannot be considered as coming under the Public Property Act.

We say this decision is  a clear gross miscarriage of justice and a sordid deflowering of the sanctity of the law not without reasons……

It was obvious even before the petition was presented , the two judges had decided to issue the restraining order and the verdict  in favor of Gota. 

The primary  ground which substantiates our allegation is, the sum of Rs. 91 million of public funds which was ‘misappropriated ‘ to build the mausoleum by Gota is what belongs to the Land reclamation and development Board of the government , and there is no other private sector partnership  in that. In other words all those are public funds pure and simple. Besides , mind you , it is no less a person than the Attorney General (A.G) who had given unequivocal instructions to file the case under the Public Property Act . Hence legal luminaries and experts who are shocked by this gross perversion of justice said , the appeal court cannot change that directive before the case has come up for trial. 

The second  ground is , only after the case is taken up for trial in the lower court and during its proceedings it can be determined whether the case is coming  under the Public Property Act or not, and not by the appeal court ahead.  Hence this decision of the Appeal court is  not only completely erroneous   but also an absolute miscarriage of justice to all intents and purposes.

The eagerness of the two culprit  appeal court judges to commit professional villainy had outrun their sureness  for obvious reasons. If this sordid procedure is to be  followed by judges  , no lower court will be able to conduct trials in Sri Lanka .The appeal court is there to review decisions of the lower courts , and not to muddle up everything like in this instance,  and overturn the lower court procedures. 

The third ground : This petition was filed yesterday , and was heard today itself to give this judgment in an unholy haste when the whole country and the world are aware of the lethargic nature of our court activities with cases languishing  in dusty corners for many years. Usually, petitions take at least a month to be decided , but Gota’s was an exception. Before one could say ‘Jack’ Gota was back at home like a culprit  mouse having escaped from the trap.  It cannot be forgotten , it was the same unscrupulous judge Shiran Gunaratne who exonerated  Duminda Silva alias kudu Dumiya  of all charges via a unilateral Kekille court decision in the multiple murder case in which Dumiya  faced charges of murdering six individuals. 

In addition  needless to reveal here,  who brought political pressures to bear on this case,  because it was no less a person than minister Sarath Amunugama  who is currently on a tour of Korea  with president Maithripala Sirisena  who said after convening a media briefing  on the  27 th  that Gotabaya had not committed a crime under the Public Property Act , and he is not a rogue.

Today , two days later , the two Kekille court clowns alias appeal court judges   have indirectly echoed the same sentiments in their sordid judgment. 

The knowledge of law of Amunugama who gave the ‘verdict’ before the court decision ,  became very  manifest when his notorious promiscuous  mistress was induced  to illegally contest elections while she was a dual citizen  , only to be subsequently  thrown out from even her parliamentary post .
 
Lanka e news always first with the news and best with the  views , which reveals the truth come what may fearlessly , frankly and forthrightly reported on the 23 rd , for the first time that , while the AG has given an order to arrest Gotabaya , at the request of Medagoda Abayatissa and Ithepana Dhammalankara , it was president Sirisena who had given a directive to  halt the arrest.
 
Incidentally ,  it was Maithripala Sirisena’s own national list M.P. Malith Jayatileke who made the shocking  disclosure in his book that Maithri within a few days of his becoming the president on UNP votes held secret discussions with Gota at his Paget Road residence in the night , after extinguishing the lights.

Earlier on  too the Supreme court issued an injunction order against the arrest of Gota  in connection with his  criminal involvement in the massive  MiG jet fraud . All these instances and more clearly prove that the judiciary of SL abjectly sways  and stoops before the powerful crooks no matter how corrupt  they are , even if those criminalities are  confirmed  beyond any doubt. Unless this disgraceful scenario in the country in which the powerful criminals enjoy impunity , and not only have their  say but even their way changes  , even the highest in the hierarchy engaging in corrupt activities is not a matter for surprise.  

It is for the 6.2 Million  people to decide now , whether are they going to still permit crooked and corrupt Medagoda Abayatissas , Amunugamas, Dehidenyas , Gunaratnes and Rajapakses to circumvent the laws with impunity and flourish at the expense of the country ?

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by     (2017-11-29 21:54:06)

Seven killed in adverse weather; depression moving awa

2017-11-30

At least seven people were killed, 26 injured and five reported missing as heavy showers and strong winds lashed the South-Western parts of the country as the deep depression which originated in the Bay of Bengal was moving away from Sri Lanka.

Around 18,781 people belonging to 4,886 families of 13 districts in 66 Grama Niladhari Divisions were affected by the situation while 1,036 people were evacuated to safer locations.

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) reported 201 houses were completely destroyed while another 3,250 houses were damaged partially. It said 676 small and medium sector industries were partially damaged.

According to the Meteorology Department, the deep depression had travelled towards the Arabian Sea to the west-northwest ward direction by last evening while developing into a cyclonic storm.

However it said more atmospheric depressions are expecting in the coming days in the Bay of Bengal.

“Showery and windy condition about 60-70 kmph are expected over the island particularly in the South-Western part in the coming days. Heavy rain fall of about 100 to 150 mm can be expected further at some places in the Southern, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Western provinces,” it added.

Meanwhile, the Irrigation Department said that the water levels of Pitabeddara, Panadugama and Sapugoda areas in Nilwala River and Thawalama area in the Gin River were reaching spill levels.

Issuing a statement, the Department said that the Nilwala, Gin and Kalu Rivers had received high rainfalls during the past 24 hours and advised that people living downstream areas to be vigilant in this regard.

“Minor flood situations could be occurred around the said reservoirs if the heavy rain continues,” it added.

Leave of all the police officers in the country have been cancelled until further notice due to the prevailing weather condition in the country.

The acting IGP has taken the decision on the instruction of Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake. He also instructed to deploy police to safe guard the damaged houses from looters.

The decision was taken after a meeting led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and senior ministers, disaster management officials, three forces commanders and police last evening.

Meanwhile, holding a media conference in Colombo yesterday, Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said though the current deep depression was moving away from the country, another atmospheric depression was likely to be developed in the Bay of Bengal.

However, he said according to the present data, the Meteorology Department could not predict its behaviour this early.

“We advise the public to be vigilant even in the next couple of days,” he added.

Also 1,900 tents have been delivered for the purpose of temporary shelters by the Disaster Management Ministry for the areas in Colombo, Galle, Matara and Kalutara.

The ministry had instructed the Divisional Secretariats to provide immediate relief provisions to the victims of the situation.

Also it had requested the public to contact hotline numbers 117, 011- 2670002, 011- 2136136 for further assistance.

Meanwhile, Army Spokesman Roshan Seneviratne said over 3,000 from tri- forces had been deployed to the relief provisions.

26 teams of the Air Force consisting of 30 each have also been placed in Ratmalana, Hingurakgoda and Anuradhapura airbases while 30 teams of naval personnel ere deployed to locate the the missing fishermen.

Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Spokesperson Sulakshan Jayawaradne said maintenance teams also had initiated the work to restore the power disruptions in the affected areas. “It would take about one and half a day to restore the electricity,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Wildlife Conservation Department announced the public to refrain from visiting the Block 2 of the Yala National Park and Horton Plains National Park due to the prevailing adverse weather conditions.

Department’s Publicity Officer Hasini Sarathchandra told Daily Mirror that that the roads of the Block 2 of Yala National Park and entry roads to the Horton Plains National Park were destroyed due to the adverse weather.

“Therefore, the department request the public to avoid visiting these places until the weather conditions would get settled,” she said. (Thilanka Kanakarathna, Kalathma Jayawardhane and Reka Tharangani)

Video by RM

Video by RM

Withdraw from MoU, we can form our own government – UNP tells Maithri

November 27

A group of stalwarts of the UNP including Ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Malik Samarawickrema who met President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday (26th) night to clarify the political situation that has surfaced has said if there was a plan to merge with Mahinda faction the SLFP should withdraw from the MoU of the joint government. T

It is reported that the UNP representatives have told the President that the UNP could form a government without the support of the SLFP. As such, they have emphasized of there was a plan to contest the local government election the Maithri faction should withdraw from the MoU that was signed between the UNP and the Maithri faction to form the ‘yahapalana’ government.

Mr. Mangala Samaraweera has emphasized to the President that merging with the Mahinda faction while staying with the government formed uniting the UNP and the Maithri faction would be against the mandate received. He has pointed out that the UNP can form a government as it has 105 Members in Parliament and there were many others who would join them.

State media to come within purview of the president ! Anti national conspiratorial activities come to light..!

(Lanka-e-News - 27.Nov.2017, 6.15PM) At a not too distant date , the entire State media are to be brought under the purview of president Maithripala Sirisena based on a conspiracy hatched by Maithri-Maharaja group , according to reports reaching Lanka e News inside information division.

Following the SLFP Central committee meeting on  23rd night,  this obnoxious plan was discussed secretly among president Maithripala ,his infernal secretary (NGO crook) Shiral Lakthileke who is leading the president on the  sure  road to perdition,  and wheeler dealer Kili Maharaja. 

Fifteen  mins. after  the meeting concluded  and all have left, Kili Maharaja alias Mahajara had arrived in his super luxury Benz vehicle  AA /017/C at the Paget Road residence of the president. Even the rear glass of this vehicle which has a double silencer was tinted .

At the discussion it was proposed if the UNP is to be targeted for attack in the future ,first and foremost , the National Rupavahini  , ITN , SL Broadcasting Corporation  and Lake House establishment must be brought under the executive  powers  of the president , to which the latter has agreed. 

It is based on this proposed plan,  on the 24 th  the president said ,’ Do not cry after tearing the paper and dumping the bits  on yourself’

On the  23rd night when the president convened the SLFP (Maithri goup) central committee meeting , at about the same time the group of Mahinda Rajapakse which takes  political decisions too met , and both groups exchanged views , based on reports reaching Lanka e News inside information division.

When the Maithri group decided to join with the Rajapakse group to contest the future election , the condition imposed by the Rajapakse group was  , if that is   to materialize , Maithri should leave the consensual government  . The  president has requested two weeks time to decide on that, and the  Rajapakse faction has acceded to  that request . 

During the next two weeks , with both sides trying to get control , hinged on the   conditions imposed  , it is likely both, the arrest of Rajapakse group crooks and refraining from arresting them can take place . The impeachment motion too that is contemplated can be steered forward or withdrawn. 

In this situation , the Maithri-Maharaja-Rajapakse common plan apart  ,  Maithri group leaving the consensual government to  join   with the Rajapakse’s alliance and securing the opposition leadership in Parliament  has to  be the first move.

It  is their plan to have a Rajapakse controlled opposition , and an opposition president in order to make the government with  UNP majority unpopular among the masses, so that in the end the present government can be brought to its knees , and an SLFP government can be installed in power.  To rogues , politics without power is like fish without water. 

It is a pity , there is no good governance which Sirisena knows of , and has no need of a good governance. Though he cruelly rode on the backs of the common opposition to come to power, since the day following his reaching that goal , his dream was to become an SLFP president .This is why Mark Twain said , ’the more I see of humanity the more I love my dog’ because dogs have a sense of gratitude.  If Maithripala had a sense of shame , let alone gratitude he would never have taken over the leadership of the SLFP violating the constitution following his becoming the president , after solemnly assuring an umpteen times he would be non partisan and neutral .

The SLFP party constitution stipulates if an SLFPer becomes the president he should the party leader , but Sirisena became the president not as an SLFPer, neither on the support of a Front linked with the SLFP. At that time he was an individual expelled from the SLFP. Hence , becoming the leader of the SLFP just because he became the president of the country was a gross violation of the SLFP constitution. Yet Sirisena demonstrating his inordinate greed for power swallowed the ‘cyanide pill’ of Rajapakse to take over the leadership of the SLFP ,only to earn the discredit as  the one who betrayed the party, thereby also incurring the wrath and displeasure of the entire SLFP membership. 

Sirisena has to crawl and cringe before the SLFP defeated and discarded crooks today , because of the lethal pill he swallowed then of Mahinda Rajapakse.  Sirisena the political moron who has no political acumen , sense of gratitude or  direction  , has kicked out the mandate of 6.2 million to selfishly find a cure for his disease resulting from the pill. 

The UNP-SLFP consensual government agreement was signed to last two  years , and though both parties have orally said , the term of agreement will be extended for a further three years , so far there is no  written agreement to that effect , it is learnt.

No matter what ,  irrespective of the conspiracies , both Indian Prime Minister Modi and Sonia Gandhi have expressed to Sri Lankan Prime Minister that they will extend the fullest support , according to sources close to our P.M.  The Indian leaders have also exchanged views in this regard with former president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge, it is learnt.

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by     (2017-11-27 13:01:18)

Ranil At Bay: Dodging The Question As To Whether Mahendran Lied

By Rajiva Wijesinha –29November 2017 

As we move to the questions addressed to the Prime Minister about the details of what took place in February 2015, the obfuscation gets more striking. So it seems desirable to add on the underlying rationale for misleading answers that were submitted, in the secure expectation that no probing questions would be asked, Dappula de Livera and Yasantha Kodagoda having been pushed aside.

(11)

Question number 11 is as follows-

“The evidence before this Commission of Inquiry suggests that, any sudden stoppage of the practice of accepting Private Placements of Treasury Bonds was likely to significantly impact the Government Securities Markets, the Treasury Bond Yield Curve and Interest Rates paid and offered by Bank… Further, the evidence before this Commission of Inquiry suggests that, in terms of the Monetary Law Act and the procedures which then prevailed in the CBSL, any proposal to stop the entrenched practice of accepting Private Placements of Treasury Bonds, should be considered by the Monetary Board and decided upon by the Monetary Board, before it was implemented.

… in the light of the aforesaid considerations, what did you expect Mr Mahendran to do in pursuance’ of any instruction you may have given to him, on 24th February 2015, with regard to Private Placements?”

My reply is as follows-

I am not going to answer that question but will simply say again that under the last Government, the determination of interest rate in the Government securities market had been distorted by moving away from a market based mechanism. This had led to a loss of investor confidence.

To the best of my knowledge, private placements were not entrenched in the securities market.

Furthermore, as private placements invariably took funds from captive sources such as the EPF, the beneficiaries of such funds received diminished returns on their savings. We found a better way to reduce benefits by putting people in decision making positions at the EPF and so on, who would buy bonds at exorbitant rates from our chosen beneficiaries. Our policy has always been to encourage market mechanisms and to further macro economic liberalization including the rates of interest and exchange to be determined by the market, but in the short term, to benefit our chosen capitalists, we put a group of shysters in charge of various institutions so that our friends made massive profits and EPF beneficiaries got much less which went to these friends rather than the country, which Eran had identified as a big problem.

… any adverse impact on the market would have been minimal in the short term and off set by long-term investor confidence, and you must not blame me for the collapse of confidence in our ratings.

…. it was expected that Mr Mahendran would take appropriate steps in accordance with due procedures to give effect to the objectives of the Government as expeditiously as possible in the light of concerns expressed by me and this he did, since my concern was to pay the party debts, and the principles I have enunciated above were platitudes to fool you guys and the country at large.

(12)

Question number 12 is as follows-

“The evidence before this Commission of Inquiry suggests that, the Ministry of Finance had identified that a substantial sum of money was required to fund payments …..(but) the Monthly Cash Flows forwarded by the Treasury to the Department of Public Debt in the Months of February 2015 and March 2015 do not call for any funds to be raised for the above purpose in February 2015 or March 2015.

The evidence before this Commission of Inquiry suggest that, a meeting was held at the CBSL on 26th February 2015 to discuss how to raise the funds required to make these payments and …. it was decided -that a Deputy Governor of the CBSL will prepare a report identifying the payments that were due and ….. another meeting was to be held later for the purpose of considering the report…

the evidence before this Commission of Inquiry suggests that, the funds required for these payments were to be raised only in the months of April or May 2015 and that, there was no requirement for any funds for this purpose to be raised at the Treasury Bond Auction held on 27th February 2015 or at Treasury Bond Auctions to be held during the month of March 2015.

In this background, did you instruct Mr Mahendran to raise funds for the aforesaid payments at the Treasury Bond Auction held on 27th February 2015?”

My reply is as follows-

Why are you talking about evidence when I, the duly appointed Prime Minster of this country, issued instructions as to what was needed, to benefit me and my friends which of course would benefit the country in the long term? What you should accept is thatat the Cabinet Sub Committee on the Economic Management, Budget proposals for which funds were needed and development projects for which payments were due, were discussed. The people on that Committee do as I say, and The Minister of Highways stated that there was an urgent need of funds for road development projects, which were undertaken by the previous Government for which the Treasury was unable to provide funds. The Interim Budget also involved additional expenditure including an increase in recurrent and capital expenditure in March. I requested that the concerned Ministers and officials of the Treasury and CBSL meet as soon as possible. Subsequently, they including the Governor CBSL had met on 26th February 2015 and they determined that Rupees Fifteen billion was urgently required. By this time, CBSL has already decided on a bond issue on 27 February, 2015.My current answer is intended to suggest that the two matters are not connected, and that is why my chums Kabir and Malik claimed that it was not decided on the 26^th to raise the funds we wanted through the bond issue, and I am sorry that I let the cat out of the bag in March 2017 by saying that was decided then.

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Sri Lanka's bond inquiry scandal leaves top leaders shaken

External debts some calling as country's reputation takes a hit

MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR, Asia regional correspondent

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe speaks to the media after giving evidence before the Bond Commission in Colombo on Nov. 20. © Reuters

November 30, 2017

COLOMBO Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe made unwelcome political history on Nov. 20, appearing before a presidential commission of inquiry into a 10 billion rupee ($65 million) bond scandal that is shaking his government and damaging the country's economic prospects.

 

 

"I have disclosed everything, as we have nothing to hide," Wickremesinghe told supporters as he emerged from the commission hearing after becoming the first sitting prime minister to be questioned at a presidential corruption inquiry.

Wickremesinghe's stance was mirrored on the streets of the capital, where posters quickly appeared describing the leader of the United National Party, the senior partner in Sri Lanka's nearly 3-year-old coalition government, as a "fearless premier." But the coalition may need more than political spin to escape from the bond revelations, which have exposed murky dealings within Colombo's incestuous financial sector.

Details of the scandal have dogged the UNP since it became public in March 2015, two months after the coalition's shock victory in a presidential election. The coalition, which successfully fielded Maithripala Sirisena as its candidate for president, campaigned on a platform of good governance and accountability to defeat the authoritarian and corrupt regime of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

But the scandal also has broader business implications, not least because it reinforces a global impression of Sri Lanka as a country where corruption remains rampant. It was a factor in Sri Lanka's fall of 12 places in the 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index, released annually by Transparency International, a global anti-graft watchdog, and analysts say it has complicated the government's struggle to finance foreign debt repayments.

The $87.5 billion economy faces a challenging external debt schedule, according to Fitch Ratings, a ratings agency. Sri Lanka has just $7 billion in foreign currency reserves, and is due to pay more than $5 billion in maturing foreign loans and interest starting in 2019. A "prolonged drought of foreign direct investment," as one economic analyst put it, has not helped. FDI amounted to just $450 million in 2016, down by 54% from 2015.

The bond scandal has shaken international confidence, according to financial analysts, who say foreign investors are unimpressed by the Sri Lankan government's claim that the prime minister and other senior ministers are appearing before the commission as a mark of good governance.

SUDDEN DECISION Sirisena appointed the commission to investigate the sale after opposition lawmakers demanded an independent inquiry, claiming that the bond issue had raised government borrowing costs by more than $1 billion over the two years.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka rejects those claims, but the government's credibility began to fade after it emerged that the bank had suddenly decided in late February 2015 to raise 10 billion rupees from a sale of 30-year government bonds with a coupon (fixed interest rate) of 12.5%. It had initially advertised an offer of 1 billion rupees with a 9.5% coupon.

Bonds worth 7 billion rupees were snapped up by Perpetual Treasuries Limited, a primary dealer owned by Arjun Aloysius, a son-in-law of Arjuna Mahendran, the then-governor of the central bank. Mahendran, a Sri Lankan-Singaporean banker, was chosen for the top banking job by Wickremesinghe.

Plans to investigate pre-2014 bond sales: PM

• Ranil tells P’ment, investigations on bond issuances from 2008-2014 after Bond Commission concludes 
• Also investigations on debt taken by former Govt. without P’ment approval and allegations of stock market irregularities
• Says will stay true to pledge with President to fight corruption 
• and introduce new political culture    
• Gives reasons to go before Bond Commission, insists similar process would never have been possible under former President  

By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent-Friday, 1 December 2017 

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday informed Parliament that the Government plans to investigate bond issuances before 2014 that were in the form of direct placements, borrowings made without obtaining Parliamentary approval, and allegations of insider trading at the stock exchange during the Rajapaksa regime.

The Prime Minister, delivering a statement explaining his presence at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the controversial Central Bank bond issuance stated that the transparency brought about by the Unity Government would help establish a new political culture in Sri Lanka, which is burdened with debt obtained irresponsibly.

“As per the request of the Bond Commission I went and explained [matters]. In a previous occasion I had mentioned that I was willing to explain any matter to assist the Presidential Commission appointed to investigate the bond issuance. I stated this as my name was mentioned at the Commission, and because the Central Bank is an institute that comes under my Ministry. So, the commission sought explanation on 20 points, and later on, a further 28 points. I have made written submissions for all.

The Commission informed me that they needed some additional clarifications on a few answers I had given. Therefore, I appeared before the Commission on 20 November,” he said, explaining the reasons for his presence before the Commission.

The Prime Minister said that in his appearance he revealed a few facts which never came before the Commission earlier.

“I had to reveal the financial position of the country when we took over in 2015. By 2014 the total foreign debt stood at Rs. 3,113 billion. That is 30% of the Gross Domestic Product.  The total debt was 71.3% of the GDP in 2014. Debt servicing cost us 10.4% of the GDP. The economic condition that prevailed in the country was insufficient to pay back the debt, but we had to borrow more for Government expenses,” he said.

To reveal the financial decisions under the former Government, the Prime Minister promised to muster an investigation soon after the Bond Commission comes to an end. “I have obtained details of the bond issuances from 2008 to 2014 from the Central Bank. Every year most of the issuances were direct private placements. There was no transparency. During this period Rs. 5,142 billion worth of bonds were issued out of which Rs. 4,702 billion were private placements. Accordingly, 90% of the bond issuances that took place during this period were private placements, which were 84 in number. Bonds issues by auction was Rs. 435.5 billion,” he added.

According to the Premier, in 2015, bonds were issued only on four occasions using direct private placements for the value of Rs. 157.5 billion. “I have obtained an estimate from the bank on the repayment of capital and interest during 2015 - 2045. So, we will have to pay Rs. 4,154 billion as capital and Rs. 3,086 billion as interest by 2045. But during this period the Government will have to continue borrowing more money issuing bonds. So, the future cost is not estimated. Taking that into consideration we will have to pay a considerable amount of money for debt servicing. The people of this country will have to pay this,” said Wickremesinghe.

“We made an inquiry into the bond issuance in May after taking over the Government in January 2015. We saw that the Monetary Board had not taken any decision to issue bonds using direct private placements. They have decided to meet the Government requirements on short term financial solutions using captive sources. As an example, it was decided to issue bonds via organisations including the Employees Trust Fund, Employees Provident Fund, and the National Savings Bank. I am tabling that decision of the Monetary Board. So, what has happened? It has continued to issue bonds to some preferred primary dealers without a decision from the Monetary Board, without any transparency and deciding interest rates according to personal preferences,” he added.

Drawing lines between serious scams taken place in Sri Lanka, the Prime Minister pledged to develop the economy regardless of the challenges facing the Government. “This is similar to a pyramid scheme and was in use till we took over in 2015. Truly this is the largest pyramid fraud. We will continue to strengthen our economy to pay back these debts and the interest. This debt burden is upon the people of this country. After concluding the investigations of the current Presidential bond commission, we are looking at investigating the great frauds taken place during 2008-2014. In addition, we are looking at bringing to the attention of the Public Finance Committee of Parliament the loans obtained without informing the Parliament and the bonds issues. The great scams in the stock market taken place during this period will also be investigated,” he said.

“We all accept that a transparent system is required instead of a fraudulent system. That is why we decided to launch the auction system. The auction system was used before on several occasions. But our aim was to use it in a more transparent manner. We have obtained international advice on the auction system. An expert from the US treasury is helping us with it. Our Government has already prepared a solid economic development plan. Everybody will benefit from it. The economy was not in a stable condition when we took over in 2015. But we have built some stability to it now. We have proposed development programs in the Budget. We expect to strengthen the economy of the industrial and tourism sector spread over Kandy, Colombo and Hambabtota and to provide more employment opportunities. The local entrepreneurs have more opportunity to make foreign earnings with the GSP+ concessions. The income will increase along with the increase in exports. Therefore, the rate against GDP and debt will decline. So, we will be able to pay this debt,” he added.

Highlighting the importance of the transparency brought about by the Unity Government after January, the Prime Minister said: “We made the bond issuance system more transparent. So, we had a mechanism to check as soon as the charge on bond issuance came up. We appointed the Pitipana Committee. The Pitipana Committee report was tabled in Parliament and was discussed. The same report was submitted to the Attorney General. It was investigated by COPE, which is headed by an Opposition Member of Parliament. The COPE report was also tabled in the Parliament and was submitted to the Attorney General. Without stopping there, we appointed a Presidential Commission. The Government extended the fullest support to the Presidential Commission. Ministers and I gave evidence before this Commission and it was for the first time in the history such an investigation took place. During the Rajapaksa regime, if a similar investigation had been held, the investigators would’ve had to follow the path of Lasantha Wickramathunga. We brought about this transparency.”

“As I always say, the President and I are committed to bringing in this new political culture. This is a new experience for Sri Lanka and not understood by many. Mistakes could happen as it is alien. We should correct them. But we are not ready to sweep the errors and shortfalls under the carpet similar to what happened during Rajapaksa regime,” he added.

84 private bond issues during last regime to be probed: PM

 

2017-11-30

The Government intended to start up a probe on bond issues that had taken place from 2008 to 2014 totalling Rs. 5,147 billion, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament today.

Making a special statement in the House, the Prime Minister said these bond issues had been made on private placements, without informing the Monetary Board or the Central Bank and Parliament.

He said 90 percent of those bond issues had been done on private placements, while issues have also been done through using EPF, ETF and National Savings Bank as captive sources.

"We will get the Finance Committee in Parliament to probe these bond issues, which have been done according to whims and fancies of certain persons. These are more or less similar to pyramid schemes," he said.  

The Prime Minister also informed Parliament that probes would be conducted on the frauds that had taken place in the stock market between 2008 and 2014.

He said bonds had been issued under direct placements only in four instances under the present regime, while there have been 84 instances of issuing bonds during the tenure of the last regime.

Mr. Wickremesinghe added that he has got all the details on bond issues from 2008 to 2014 from the Central Bank.(Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana)

Sri Lanka: Investigations into killings of tuskers to be handled by CID

(November 30, 2017, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayaka has directed Acting IGP C.D. Wickremaratne to place the investigations into the killings of Dala Puttuwa and other tuskers under the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), with immediate effect.

The move comes in the wake of the killing of Dala Puttuwa, the famous tusker in Galgamuwa. Its tusks were recovered from the Polpithigama area.

Another tusker was also killed in the Thabbowa forest recently.

In a separate incident, a baby elephant tethered to a tree was also found by the Police in the Katagamuwa area, Kataragama.

Minister Ratnayaka ordered the Acting IGP to launch a comprehensive investigation into all these incidents and ascertain whether an organised criminal network was behind the chain of events.

“We condemn these heinous acts as the Law and Order Minister I must state that we will take stern action against everyone responsible for this crime. We want to conduct these investigations efficiently and impartially – which is why we entrusted the CID with this task,” the Minister explained.

Video: Life without water in Gaza

29 November 2017

“We live in an area where there is no water,” says Ibrahim al-Majaida, a resident of al-Mawasi, an agricultural area near Khan Younis in the southern Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip.

The average Palestinian family in Gaza receives running water only four to six hours, every three to five days, due to chronic electricity shortages resulting from Israel’s decade-long siege.

This forces many to buy water from expensive and unregulated private sources.

“We travel two kilometers to bring water to our homes,” al-Majaida says.

More than 96 percent of Gaza’s water supply is unsafe for drinking.

Desalination plants are functioning at 15 percent of their capacity due to electricity shortages.

The diminished capacity of water and wastewater treatment facilities means that 108 million liters of raw sewage are being dumped into the Mediterranean Sea every day.

The disrupted operation of treatment facilities has led to sewage spills in various areas of Gaza, such as al-Mawasi.

“Even plants and vegetables don’t survive in it because of the contamination,” says Rasha al-Majaida, another resident of al-Mawasi. “Not even birds drink from it.”

Video by Ruwaida Amer and Sanad Abu Latifa.

On UN’s November 29, 1947 Resolution Partitioning Palestine

By Latheef Farook –29November 2017 

Justice collapsed, evil triumphed and UN lost its soul in its infancy

Seventy years ago on November 29 1947, Western imperialist powers led by US President Truman, blackmailed United Nations and passed a resolution, in complete violation of the very UN charter, to partition Palestine to offer part of it to migrant Jews to set up a Jewish state.   

It was one of the darkest days in human history when international justice, moral principles and all cherished human values collapsed. As a result of this resolution Palestinians, the owners of the land, were forced into refugee camps where they still languish in appalling condition.

 

From the very inception, the big powers manipulated UN Security Council. For example US blackmailed member countries such as Philippines, Haiti, Liberia, China, Ethiopia and Greece who opposed the resolution to support.   

In the closing days of the Second World War, five nations –United

States, Soviet Union, France, United Kingdom and China – met in Washington between August and October 1944, to work out proposals for a charter to establish the United Nations (UN) in place of the League of Nations.

In the following year, representatives of fifty governments met in San Francisco from 25 April to 26 June 1945 for formulating the United Nations Charter based on the proposals worked by the five big powers. The Charter was finally adopted and signed on 26 June 1945 by the participants.

In drafting the Charter and establishing the UN, the big powers structured the organisation to ensure they retain their power to continue to shape the destiny of the world to suit their political and economic agendas.   

 

Although membership had been open to all, new members were admitted to the UN General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council only on condition if they accept, and were willing to carry out the decisions of the Security Council. 

Seven decades later today, the UN, which has 191 members, has failed the world.

After the collapse of the former Soviet Union, the UN has become a mere tool under the sole super power the United States, which exploits the UN to implement its evil designs on the helpless, especially Muslim countries.

Highlighting the current plight of the UN, former Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed in his final address to the General Assembly said in 2004, that the “United Nations, in which we had pinned so much hope, is collapsing on its clay feet, helpless to protect the weak and the poor”.

The UN’s credibility crisis continues to date. Hundreds of resolutions have been passed on many international issues. Those directed especially at Muslim countries were strictly implemented as divine laws while others were ignored.

For example in June 1967 Israel invaded neighbouring countries, with the backing of the west, and captured West Bank, Gaza, Sinai and Golan Heights. The United Nations resolutions 242 and 338 demanded Israeli withdrawal from captured territories. Instead Israel continue to build Jewish settlements and annex Palestinian lands including East Jerusalem.

In the 1960s and 70s, with more and more newly independent countries joining the UN, the General Assembly became the most important forum for the newly emerging countries to highlight their cause and seek means to redress them. In the 1980s, angered by the Third World domination of the General Assembly, the US ignored the UN, delayed her annual financial contributions and even withdrew from UNESCO.

In 1990 came the collapse of the former Soviet Union changing overnight the entire international political scene throwing Third World countries aligned with Soviet Union into disarray. 

It was in this critical environment for the developing countries Iraq, encouraged by United States, invaded Kuwait in August 1990, and triggered the Gulf crisis. Between the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on 2 August 1990 and the beginning of the US attack on Iraq on January 17 1991, the UN Security Council passed twelve resolutions in quick succession. Thus it was UN sanctioned war, destruction   and the genocide of its people.

Sanctions

United Nations sanctions on countries like Iraq, Libya, Iran and North Korea, to cite few, turned out to be genocide of people for the follies of their regimes, often supported by US. The UN sanctions on Iraq in 1991 killed more than 500,000 children while hundreds of thousands remain deformed and crippled.

UN and the Massacre of Bosnian Muslims

The UN resolutions were responsible for the massacre of more than 200,000 Muslims in Bosnia. It was under the watchful eyes of UN and the champions of human rights in Europe and United States that Bosnian Serbs slaughtered more than 300,000 Muslim men, women, and children and displaced at least two million more that were driven out from their homes to take refuge in the nearby jungle.

The UN gave a free hand to the well-armed Serbian thugs to commit mass murder, torture, rape, destruction and eviction from their homes under what was described as “ethnic cleansing”. The UN lost its credibility when it imposed an arms embargo and deprived the Bosnian Muslims to defend themselves.

While Bosnian Serbs were busy with their killing spree for three long years UN did nothing to stop the genocide and protect the Muslims. 

Almost a week long Srebrenica massacre of approximately 10,000 Muslim men and boys and the torture, rape, and killing of many women and children, from July 12 through July 18, in and near the UN declared “safe area” remains one of the most horrifying events in recent European history.

Later admitting UN complicity UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan reiterated that Srebrenica massacre would haunt the world body forever. The 400 Dutch troops who were guarding Srebrenica’s Muslim victims looked the other way, while the UN rejected appeals for air strikes by NATO to halt their advance.

“The victims had put their trust in international protection. But we, the international community, let them down”, said a message from former European Union foreign policy Chief Javier Solana. “This was a colossal, collective and shameful failure”.

Read More

Posted by Thavam

Brexit and the Irish border – Live debate

Matt Frei-30 NOV 2017Europe Editor and Presenter

Joining us now to debate the issue is Nicola Byrne, President of the Irish Exporters Association, Editor of Brexit Central, Jonathan Isaby, Senator Neale Richmond, Brexit spokesperson for Fine Gael – Ireland’s ruling party, Jennifer Kavanagh is a law lecturer at the Waterford Institute of Technology, Deputy Editor of Belfast based, News Letter, Ben Lowry and Ray Bassett is the former Irish Ambassador to Canada.

Germany's Social Democrats refuse to jump into bed with Merkel quickly

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Horst Seehofer, the head of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) arrive for talks hosted by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (R) with the leader of the Social Democrats (SPD) Martin Schulz, in Schloss Bellevue in Berlin, Germany, November 30, 2017. REUTERS/Guido Bergmann/BPA/Handout via REUTERS

Michelle Martin, Thomas Escritt-NOVEMBER 30, 2017

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany’s Social Democrat (SPD) Foreign Minister said on Thursday that his party would not be quick to agree to another grand coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, as party leaders met with the president in a bid to end political deadlock.

Merkel is casting around for a coalition partner after her centre-right bloc shed support to the far right in a Sept. 24 election. Her attempts to form a three-way tie-up with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens failed.

The SPD, which saw its participation in a Merkel-led coalition government from 2013-17 rewarded with its worst election result in German post-war history, had been strongly opposed to another “grand coalition”.

 

But under pressure from Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, SPD leader Martin Schulz has signalled willingness to discuss a way out of the political impasse.

SPD Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told broadcaster ZDF no one should expect his party - still ruling with the conservatives in a caretaker government - to immediately agree to join another grand coalition now that talks to form a three-way ‘Jamaica’ alliance have failed.

“We’re now in a process orchestrated by the president, in which we first need to look at what the possibilities are but no one can expect it to go quickly,” he said, adding that it was up to the conservatives to show what they wanted.

“The conservatives, Greens and FDP took months to get nothing off ground so I’d ask people not to put pressure on us,” Gabriel said, adding that the conservatives needed to make clear what they wanted.

Senior conservative and chancellery chief Peter Altmaier told ZDF the conservatives and SPD had presided over four years of economic prosperity and the SPD needed to decide if it would give that up or reconsider its decision to go into opposition.

”We’re making the case for that because we think one of our trademarks, alongside ‘Made in Germany’, is ‘Stability Made in Germany’, Altmaier said.

The leader of the Social Democrats (SPD) Martin Schulz (R) arrives for talks hosted by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (L) with Chancellor Angela Merkel and Horst Seehofer, the head of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) in Schloss Bellevue in Berlin, Germany, November 30, 2017. REUTERS/Guido Bergmann/BPA/Handout via REUTERS

He added that many people expected Germany to manage to form a government, adding: “Everyone has to live up to that.”

Steinmeier, a former SPD lawmaker and foreign minister, hosted a meeting on Thursday that lasted just over two hours between Merkel, her Bavarian conservative ally Horst Seehofer and Schulz, as part of his efforts to facilitate the formation of a stable government.

The parties are all due to hold high-level meetings on Friday to discuss how to proceed. Sources in the SPD said all options would be discussed - ranging from a re-run of the grand coalition with the conservatives to new elections.

Merkel is set to hold a telephone conference with senior party members on Friday to discuss the meeting with Steinmeier but the conservatives do not expect the SPD to agree to official coalition talks until after its party congress next week.

Almost two-thirds of Germans, surveyed between Nov.22 and Nov.27, want the SPD to start talks with the conservatives on forming another coalition of the centre-right and centre-left, an Allensbach poll showed.

MINORITY GOVERNMENT?

The atmosphere has been soured by the decision of the conservative agriculture minister to back a European Union proposal to extend the use of a weedkiller for another five years - a measure opposed by the SPD. In reaction, SPD members have called for compensation and set various policy conditions.

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, a conservative, told reporters a stable government was urgently needed to move ahead on security priorities such as hiring more police.

He told the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper that the conservatives were trying to form a stable government with the SPD, if the SPD would agree. He added: “Only if this attempt fails do we need to think about other steps - not now.”

FDP leader Christian Lindner, who walked out of attempts to form the ‘Jamaica’ alliance, told newspaper Rheinische Post a grand coalition would be “more stable and more advantageous” than a Jamaica tie-up.The business wing of Merkel’s Christian Democrats called on Merkel to “seriously consider” a minority government, warning that another grand coalition would only be possible for the price of “even more unaffordable promises” in social policy.\

Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal, Andreas Rinke, Michael Nienaber and Holger Hansen; Writing by Michelle Martin; editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Rosalba O'Brien