News

The Commissioner of Prisons Emil Ranjan Lamahewa was arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) last night (28), in connection with the deadly Welikada Prison riots in 2012.

Police spokesman Ruwan Gunesekara said that Lamahewa who functioned as the Superintendent in charge of the Magazine Prison back in 2012, was arrested at his official residence in Dematagoda.

Lamahewa will be produced before the Colombo Magistrate today (29) along with Inspector Neomal Rangajeewa of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB), who was also arrested by the CID over the same incident yesterday.

Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka is said to have suggested that Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe should step down from his post prior to the No confidence motion being presented to parliament.

According to political sources, the Minister is said to have said this at a special discussion held at the Ministry of Health yesterday. The meeting has been called by Minister Rajitha Senaratne to discuss regarding the decision that must be taken regarding the matter.

The meeting has been attended by Ministers of the United National Front (UNF) Patali Champika Ranawaka, Arjuna Ranatunga, Sarath Fonseka, Mona Ganesan, Palani Digambaran, Karunaratne Paranawithana.

However, they had not arrived at a conclusive decision political sources said. These Ministers are also set to meet the Prime Minister tomorrow for further discussion as well.

Bank of China opened its first branch in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo on Wednesday evening.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was the Chief Guest at the ceremony said the opening of the Colombo branch was an important step in strengthening the island's economy and it opened a new chapter in the modern history of bilateral relations.

"The Bank of China is opening in Sri Lanka at a time when Colombo city is transforming into a megapolis. Bank of China has a crucial role to play in helping this island by strengthening our local businesses while also being able to attract more Chinese investments into the country," Wickremesinghe said.

The prime minister added Bank of China's success was also a testament to the rapid economic growth of China in the past three decades and while it was the fourth largest bank globally, it would not be too long before it emerged as the leading bank in the world.

Governor of the Sri Lankan Central Bank Indrajit Coomaraswamy, speaking at the ceremony, hailed the entry of the Bank of China into Colombo as a "major landmark" in the history of the Sri Lankan economy.

He said the bank, with its large network of branches in China and other parts of the world, will not only help expand trade in Sri Lanka but help small and medium enterprises grow and tie up with manufacturers overseas as part of international supply chains.

Chairman of the Bank of China Wang Xiquan said that the hundred-year-old institution now has 600 branches overseas and links with 1,600 financial institutions across the world.

He said, the opening of its Colombo branch will mark the beginning of a new era for the Chinese financial industry to serve Sri Lanka and its Colombo branch was an opportunity to closely focus on the overall strategic cooperation between China and Sri Lanka.

Chinese Ambassador Cheng Xueyuan described Sri Lanka as a "time tested friend" of China and thanked Prime Minister Wickremesinghe for the support he had given to set up a branch in Colombo.

Results of the 2017 GCE Ordinary Level examination will be released in the afternoon today (March 28), Department of Examinations noted.

Commissioner of Examinations, Sanath Poojitha, said all preparations have been made to release the results via www.doenets.lk

The number of candidates who sat for the examination in 5116 examination centres is 688,573. The Department says 429,493 were school candidates while 259,080 were private candidates.

The United National Front (UNF) and United National Party (UNP) will meet Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe separately today (29) to finalise their respective stances on the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) brought against the PM, Co-Cabinet Spokesperson, Minister Rajitha Senaratne said addressing the weekly Cabinet media briefing.

He said the UNF party leaders met on Tuesday evening to discuss their views on the NCM and they would inform their decision to the Prime Minister on Thursday.

Minister Rishard Bathuideen was not present at Tuesday’s meeting as he was held up at the Cost of Living Committee meeting.

“We will meet the Prime Minister at Temple Trees at 4.00 pm to communicate our decision to him and arrival at a final course of action,” Minister Senaratne said.

Co-Cabinet Spokesperson, Minister Gayantha Karunathilake in the meantime said the UNP Working Committee would also meet that day, to decide on their stance as a party.

“The UNP Parliamentarian Group met last week and everyone unanimously decided to support the Prime Minister. Some have even signed letters of support”, he added.

When asked about the opposition within the party and for calls of reform from within, Minister Karunathilake stated that the reforms had not called for a change in leadership and that having defeated the current challenge of the NCM, they would take on party reforms.

“From April 5 onwards, we will start the party reform process”, said the minister.

Both ministers however were of the opinion that the NCM would be easily defeated come April 4.

Their partner in government, the SLFP had its Treasurer, S.B.Dissanayake state that given the contents of the NCM, it was difficult for them to oppose it.

Source : Daily News

Major General Dampath Fernando has been appointed the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army.

Fernando, formerly the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army was the Security Forces Commander in Mullaitivu previously. He is a highly decorated officer with a distinguished career who has commanded two infantry battalions, two brigades and three Infantry divisions in the north and eastern provinces and had taken part in many large and small scale operations.

He is also an outstanding sportsman who had represented Sri Lanka in basketball. Fernando joined the Army in 1983 with Intake 18 at the Sri Lanka Military Academy, Diyatalawa.

He was commissioned into Gemunu Watch Regiment and started his career as a Second Lieutenant. Presently he is the Colonel of the Gemunu Watch Regiment.

During his illustrious military career, he has held many important positions in the army in the fields of operations, training and staff.

Having been reinstated to the Army in 2015 by President Maithripala Sirisena, he gradually rose up to the position of Chief of Staff proving his professionalism and thus maintaining the correct protocol and seniority in the Army.

Source : Daily News

Following a proposal by Minister of Finance and Media Mangala Samaraweera to amend the Nation Building Tax Act, No. 09 of 2009, Cabinet approval has been granted to remove the NBT imposed on certain goods.

Accordingly, the following goods will be exempt from the NBT.

• Equipment used for the construction of greenhouses, polytunnels aimed at utilizing advanced technology for agricultural activities
  Coconut oil and coconut related products
• Gemstones imported with the intention of cutting, polishing and re-exporting
• Sports equipment and sports gear (that do not operate by motors) necessary for water sports such as rowing, kayaking, kite surfing and diving
• Sports equipment and sports gear (that do not require power) necessary for air sports including gliders, air balloons, dirigible, parachutes and paragliders
• Services provided by the Sri Lanka Deposit Insurance Scheme.

 The NBT will however be levied on liquor in addition to existing taxes.

Foreign tours of all Government Ministers and MPs have been cancelled from April 2 to 6 in view of the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against the Prime Minister.

Speaking to the media at the Sirikotha UNP Head Office, UNP MP Ashu Marasinghe said all Government MPs currently overseas have been asked to cut short their visits and return to the country by April 1.

“The NCM is not only targeting Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, but also the Government. We will definitely defeat it and turn it around as a confidence motion on the Government. The Joint Opposition at the Party Leader’s Meeting wanted to delay the NCM and asked that it be taken up only after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. The Government decided to give priority to it,” Prof. Marasinghe said.

He said no member in the Government ranks has the moral right to support the NCM, adding that those who signed the motion must resign from their portfolios before April 4. “After the NCM, we will start a new journey with new vigour. Those who dragged the Government from its feet have no place in it,” the MP said.

He said a decision on extending the Memorandum of Understanding between the UNP and SLFP would be taken after the NCM on April 4. “We hope that many SLFP members will continue to work with the UNP” he added.

He also said the UNP Working Committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday to decide on party reforms, adding that those changes could be expected before the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. The MP was confident of defeating the NCM even if the SLFP decides to vote in favour. “We have contingency plans. It is a good opportunity to expose and expel the Government members with double-standards.We can clean-up the Government and go ahead,” he said.

UNP backbenchers Wijayapala Hettiarachchi and Prof.Ashu Marasinghe were of the view that the JO’s NCM against the Prime Minister and Government invariably applies to the President as well because he is the Head of Government as per the Constitution.

Quoting the Constitution, they pointed out the President is a member of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Head of the Cabinet of Ministers. “This is a conspiracy and it will not end by removing PM Wickremesinghe.The next target would be the Speaker and the President,” they said.

Source : Daily News

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has been transferred back to the Ministry of Finance and Media by President Maithripala Sirisena via a special gazette notification.

According to the gazette notification, the Securities and Exchange Commission has also been listed under the Finance Ministry.

The Treasurer of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, Minister S.B. Dissanayake, said that it is hard to oppose the Joint Opposition’s no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister as a party and as an alliance. However, he said that the SLFP has not made a final decision and that there is no need to topple the government.

Minister Dissanayake made these remarks while addressing a press conference at the SLFP headquarters today (27). He further said that the party will make a decision soon.

The Ambassador of the European Union Tung-Laï Margue together with the ambassadors of Romania and Switzerland visited the Kandy district from 27-28 March 2018.

The Ambassadors paid their respects to the Chief Prelate of the Asigiriya Chapter, the Most. Ven. Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thero, and the Chief Prelate of the Malwatte Chapter, the Most Venerable Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala.

 During a frank and constructive exchange, the envoys emphasised the importance of starting a systematic dialogue with other religious leaders to avoid the recurrence of the recent violence. They particularly welcomed the upcoming meeting of a parliamentary committee, consisting of religious and political leaders from all communities, set up to discuss the issue. The envoys also visited the Sri Dalada Maligawa.

The Ambassadors met representatives of the Muslim community to discuss the recent communal violence, and its aftermath. They expressed their sympathies for the loss of life and the destruction of homes, mosques, and businesses.

Addressing the media in Kandy, the ambassadors noted that the violence in Kandy district underscores the need to redouble efforts to support national reconciliation. They said that Sri Lankans know all too well the consequences of not addressing religious and ethnic hatred, and reiterated the importance of political, religious and community leaders taking the initiative to counter hate speech and racist stereotypes. The envoys emphasised that there must be no impunity for such crimes.

Former Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunge had been arrested by the Dubai authorities yesterday (26), Ravi Waidyalankara, the Senior DIG in charge of the FCID told the Daily News.

He said that the Dubai authorities had arrested him based on the investigations and submissions made by the FCID.

Currently, the FCID is in discussion with the Dubai authorities with regard to handing Weeratunga over to the Sri Lankan authorities. He had been arrested by the Dubai authorities last morning.

Previously, a special team comprising officers from the FCID, Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Foreign Ministry (FM), Attorney Generals’ Department and Department of Immigration and Emigration was sent to Dubai to bring the former ambassador back based on a warrant obtained from the Colombo Fort Magistrate.

Earlier this year Colombo Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne had also ordered to suspend the transactions of 16 bank accounts with a balance of USD 1.5 million maintained by Weeratunga in connection with the inquiry conducted into the purchase of Ukraine-built MiG-27 aircraft in 2006.