News

The Colombo High Court has sentenced former North Central Province Chief Minister S.M. Ranjith and his Sister-in-Law, Shanthi Chandrasena, to 16 years of rigorous imprisonment for corruption.

The judgement was delivered by Colombo High Court Chief Judge Aditya Patabendi, following a case filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption.

S.M. Ranjith served as the Chief Minister of the North Central Province from September 25, 2012, to January 20, 2015.

During this period, he illegally provided over Rs 2.6 million through fuel orders to his personal secretary, Shanthi Chandrasena, despite an existing fuel allowance included in her salary.

The Bribery Commission filed the case in November 2021, citing six charges, including the misuse of government resources and coercion of government officials.

After a lengthy trial, the judge concluded that the prosecution had proven the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

The court found that the defendants had misused 16,784 liters of fuel, violating the Bribery Act.

Before sentencing, the Bribery Commission's attorney highlighted that S.M. Ranjith, as an elected public representative, had misused public funds in a district with a predominantly farming population.

The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has announced a reduction in fuel prices, with both Petrol Octane 92 and Octane 95 reduced by Rs. 10 per litre.

The revised prices will come into effect from midnight tonight (31 March).

There will be no changes to the prices of other fuels. 

Petrol Octane 92 reduced by Rs. 10 to Rs. 299

Petrol Octane 95 by Rs. 10 to Rs. 361 per litre.

Sri Lanka’s Food Security Committee has recommended the import of rice to address possible shortages and ensure availability for vulnerable populations.

This recommendation follows market observations of rising rice prices and signs of declining supply.

During a recent Cabinet discussion, attention was drawn to the need to authorize rice imports to stabilize the market and prevent further shortages, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.

The proposal was made at a meeting held on April 1 at the Presidential Secretariat, chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff. Participants included officials from the ministries of Agriculture, Trade, Food Security, and related sectors.

The committee emphasized the need for contingency measures, including importing broken rice and allowing emergency stocks to be released if necessary. It also noted that unregulated rice hoarding by some traders has worsened the shortage.

The committee has approved the formation of a subcommittee, led by the Agriculture Secretary, to assess national rice stocks and oversee the import process as needed.

Shammi Silva was elected uncontested as the President of Sri Lanka Cricket for the fourth time during the SLC elections held in Colombo today.

He will serve in the position from 2025 to 2027.

Meanwhile, the following officials have also been elected uncontested for positions in Sri Lanka Cricket for 2025 - 2027 term.

Vice President - Jayantha Dharmadasa and Ravin Wickramaratne

Secretary - Bandula Dissanayake

Treasurer- Sujeewa Godaliyadda

Assistant Secretary - Chryshantha Kapuwatte

Assistant Treasurer - Lasantha Wickremesinghe

The Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) has announced that the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) will be mandatory to register new vehicles and their related services.

Clarifying that the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) will be mandatory for the registration of new vehicles, the DMT said, however, certain types of vehicles are exempted.

The department said the TIN number is not mandatory for the registration or transfer of motorcycles, three-wheelers, tractors, hand-tractors and tractor-trailers.

The clarification comes as the government had announced last month that following the lifting of vehicle import restrictions, the TIN number will be mandatory for the registration of vehicles.

Former Public Security Minister Tiran Alles has left the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) after providing a statement for over five and a half hours.

He arrived at the CID premises around 10:45 a.m. today after being notified to appear at the CID.

According to police, the former minister was summoned to record a statement regarding the death of a police sergeant from the Colombo Crimes Division during a shooting incident near a hotel in Weligama, Matara, in 2023.

The Court of Appeal has issued an order suspending all election activities related to Local Government Bodies against which petitions have been filed over the rejection of nominations.

Accordingly, the Court of Appeal has suspended election activities for the said Local Government Bodies until tomorrow, 02 April 2025.

It is reported that the court order has been issued after taking up for consideration multiple petitions that have been filed by candidates and independent groups on the rejection of nominations.

In December last year, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to amend the Local Government Act to allow fresh nominations to be called for the Local Government Election.

However, the decision was challenged in court.

The government has decided to increase the stamp duty on agreements for leasing or renting property by 100%.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the revised fees will take effect from April 1.

Currently, for lease or rental agreements, the stamp duty is charged at Rs. 10 for every Rs. 1,000 or part thereof, including any advance payments made for the entire lease period.

The ministry stated that this stamp duty will be increased to Rs. 20 from April 1. A gazette notification regarding the change has already been issued by Finance Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Notably, this is the first revision of the stamp duty since 2006.

However, the ministry clarified that the stamp duty on agreements under the Consumer Credit Act, which is charged at Rs. 10 per Rs. 1,000 or part thereof of the total value, will remain unchanged.

Member of Parliament Chamara Sampath Dasanayake has been remanded until April 8. This decision was made following his appearance before the Colombo Magistrate's Court this morning.

Dasanayake was arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption in connection with financial corruption charges dating back to his tenure as the Chief Minister of the Uva Province. On March 27, Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali ordered his remand.

The court considered three corruption charges against Dasanayake. While he was granted bail for two of the cases, he was remanded in custody for the third.

He faces three charges, including causing a loss of Rs. 23 million to the government by withdrawing all fixed deposits maintained by the provincial council from a state bank after the bank manager refused to provide additional funds, for which he was remanded by the court.

He faces two other charges from the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

One of the charges involves the misappropriation of Rs. 2.5 million obtained from two state banks, which were allegedly transferred to Dasanayake's foundation's account.

Another charge accuses him of directly receiving Rs. 1 million from a state bank, intended for the provincial council, which he reportedly took personally from the bank branch.

Former Minister of Public Security, Tiran Alles, will appear at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) tomorrow (31), to record a statement in connection with the shooting incident at a private hotel in Matara.

The Matara Magistrate’s Court had previously issued an arrest order for eight police officers, including former officers of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) and former IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, naming them as suspects in the shooting incident that occurred in front of the W15 Hotel in the Pelena area of Weligama, Matara, on December 31, 2023.

However, bail was granted to the other suspects, with the exception of Tennakoon.

Police sources have indicated that the CID has grown suspicious that former Minister Alles may possess additional information about the incident, leading to his scheduled questioning.

This inquiry follows a press conference held by the former Minister on January 18, 2024, where he spoke about the incident.

The CID is now expected to probe further into these disclosures as part of the ongoing investigation.

Local milk producer, Milco Private Limited, has announced a reduction in the price of several of its products, effective from today (01 Apr).

Accordingly, the price of a Highland yoghurt cup has been reduced by Rs. 10, with the new price being Rs. 70.

The prices of several fresh milk products have also been reduced as follows;

450ml pasteurized milk – reduced from Rs. 225 to Rs. 200

450ml fresh milk packet – reduced from Rs. 200 to Rs. 170

900ml fresh milk packet – reduced from Rs. 440 to Rs. 380

Milco Private Limited states the price reduction has been implemented to provide concessions to the public.

The Sunday Times Deputy Editor–Investigations Namini Wijedasa has been selected as one of the recipients of the US Secretary of State’s 2025 International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award.

This year’s IWOC Awards ceremony will be hosted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and First Lady Melania Trump next week at the US State Department in Washington D.C. The US State Department’s citation of Ms. Wijedasa reads as follows:

“Namini Wijedasa, an award-winning journalist with over 30 years of experience, began her career chronicling the human toll of Sri Lanka’s civil conflict and giving voice to those affected by its aftermath. Over time, her focus shifted to combating corruption through investigative reporting, bringing critical accountability issues to the forefront and inspiring the next generation of journalists.

“Through her work, Ms. Wijedasa has consistently championed accountability, emphasising that meaningful change can only be achieved when the people demand transparency from those in power, urging them to address the nation’s long-standing challenges.

“Despite restrictive legislation that had a chilling effect on many reporters and freedom of expression in Sri Lanka, she remains undeterred in her pursuit of positive change. Her work not only aims to hold the most powerful accountable but also fosters dialogue on economic prosperity and transparent governance, paving the way for a new generation of reporters and ensuring a legacy of courageous, impactful journalism.”

Now in its 19th year, the Secretary of State’s IWOC Award recognises women from around the world who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership—often at great personal risk and sacrifice, the official release from the US State Department states.

Since 2007, the Department of State has recognised more than 200 women from over 90 countries with the IWOC Award. U.S. diplomatic missions overseas nominate one woman of courage from their respective host countries, and finalists are selected and approved by senior Department officials.

Following the IWOC ceremony, the awardees will participate in an International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) and additional programming in Los Angeles.

The other recipients of the 2025 IWOC Award are:

• Henriette Da (Burkina Faso) – “A sociologist by training and an expert in human rights, women’s rights, and development, Ms. Da is also a founding member of Burkina Faso’s Association for Religious Tolerance and Intercommunity Dialogue. In 2018, she was appointed President of the National Human Rights Commission.”
• Amit Soussana (Israel) – “Ms. Soussana uses her voice to courageously advocate for survivors by using her own lived example to describe the trauma she suffered as a hostage of the October 7th attack in Israel.”Major Velena Iga (Papua New Guinea) – “She has been a key figure in combating violence against women, sorcery accusation-related violence, and trafficking in persons in Papua New Guinea for over a decade.”
• Angelique Songco (Philippines) – “Better known as “Mama Ranger,” Angelique Songco leads a small team of rangers protecting the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park from illegal fishing and poaching.”
• Georgiana Pascu (Romania) – “Has dedicated her career to promoting access to accountability and recognition of human rights for institutionalised children and adults with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities.”
• Zabib Musa Loro Bakhit (South Sudan) – “Ms. Bakhit women’s rights leader with more than 10 years of experience in fragile, post-conflict, and resource-poor settings. She has held several leadership positions at the national and regional levels.”
• Amat Al-Salam Abdullah Abdo Al-Hajj (Yeman) – “She is the founder and president of the Abductees’ Mothers Association, which continues to be a powerful voice in bringing international attention to the plight of thousands of Yemeni detainees and their families.”

This year’s Madeleine Albright Honorary Group Award, which will also be presented at the ceremony, has been awarded to the “Women Student Protest Leaders of Bangladesh.” The US State Department notes that “A valiant group of women were key drivers in the student protest movement against violent repression in Bangladesh in July-August 2024. They demonstrated extraordinary bravery, including standing between security forces and male protestors in spite of threats and violence.”