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Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigations Department will conduct investigations on all complaints related to ragging, announced Sri Lanka Police on Thursday (10).

Sri Lanka Police said that the Chief of Police had ordered the CID to conduct future investigations concerning three separate complaints on ragging as per the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Sri Lanka Police said that a second-year student from the University of Kelaniya was assaulted by three students from a union and the victim had filed a complaint with the Kiribathgoda Police.

In addition, six fellow students who are said to have instructed the aforementioned students to file the complaint had been detained at the student dormitory, questioned and beaten by another group of students, and a complaint on the matter was filed with the Kiribathgoda Police, said a statement from Sri Lanka Police.

Further, a complaint has been filed with the Peradeniya Police over committing ragging by directing pornographic material to a student at the University of Peradeniya via social media.

Sri Lanka Police said that the Inspector General of Police had instructed all senior officers that the CID will conduct investigations on future complaints on ragging, and police stations are required to forward such complaints to the CID.

Weekly Fuel quota of 5 liters for 3-Wheelers on The National Fuel Pass will be increased to 10 liters per week from tonight, Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said today.

The Minister further said that the quota increase will be applied for full time 3-Wheeler taxis in the Western Province, registered online with Provincial Transport Authority & Police department.

Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayaka recalled that Faris Hadad-Zervos, the World Bank (WB) Country Director for Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka was amazed with the action policy and the vision of President Ranil Wickremesinghe which was revealed during their meeting recently.

Ratnayaka said the President's vision for the country includes some measures that go beyond what the International Monetary Fund or World Bank has stipulated. "His vision is actually far ahead than this sphere," he said, adding that the WB Country Director also expressed his willingness to support the President’s vision.

He emphasized the importance of getting everyone together to work hard on developing the road map and sticking to the timelines to get the best final report at the end of the next two weeks.

He noted that this is the best opportunity for the country to stabilize economically, to have a solid policy framework and to go into the road map that is needed. “As a country, we have that potential and request everyone to make maximum use of it,” Ratnayaka added.

Ratnayaka made these remarks while speaking at the World Bank Budget support and Development Policy Operation (DPO) Preparatory Mission kick-off meeting between the government officials and the members of the World Bank which took place this morning (08) at the Presidential Secretariat.

While thanking the WB team, State Minister Semasinghe said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe is committed to ensure the stabilization of the country's economy and the President has taken very difficult decisions to revive the economy.

They discussed Development Policy Operations, which provides direct budget support to governments for policy and institutional reforms, and is aimed at achieving a set of specific development results. These operations were designed under three pillars such as transforming economic governance, enhancing growth & competitiveness and protecting the poor and vulnerable to provide rapid financial assistance to allow Sri Lanka to deal with actual or anticipated development financing requirements.

Lengthy discussions were held with WB team on the areas of debt management and transparency, fiscal oversight, tax administration policy, public procurement transparency and value for money, sever the sovereign-financial sector nexus, improve stewardship of the financial sector and reduce systemic risk, reform and enhance oversights of SOEs, reduce the anti-export bias of national tariff policy and elite capture, eliminate barriers to foreign investment, make energy and transport sector less dependent on imported fuels and more climate friendly, and strengthen social protection institutions, delivery systems, and targeting.

State Minister of Social Empowerment Women’s and Children Affairs Anupa Pasqual, Country Manager of the World Bank Chiyo Kanda and the members of the World Bank team and the officials of the line institutions of the relevant ministries were also present at this discussion.

Litron Gas on Sunday (6) announced the revised prices for LP Gas.

12.5 kg gas cylinder has been increased by from Rs. 4,280/- to Rs. 4,360/-.

5 kg gas cyclinder has been increased from Rs. 1,720 to Rs. 1,750/-.

2.3 kg gas cyclinder has been increased from Rs. 800/- to Rs. 815/-.

The system failure at the Immigration and Emigration Department has been restored.

Passport services will re-commence as usual from Wednesday (9), said Immigration and Emigration spokesperson Piyumi Bandara.

The Department of Immigration and Emigration earlier announced that there is a delay in issuing passports on Tuesday (8) due to a system issue.

Immigration and Emigration spokesperson Piyumi Bandara told News 1st that the department has suspended accepting applications for passports, adding that the system is being restored.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe met the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, upon his arrival in Egypt, Cairo today.

The President briefed the Secretary-General on the Government’s plans on the National Environmental Policy.

The Secretary General recalled memories of his first visit to Sri Lanka in 1978.

President Wickremesinghe left the island this morning (06) for Egypt to attend the UN Climate Change Conference COP 27.

He was accompanied by Minister of Environment, Mr. Naseer Ahamed, Senior Advisor to the President on Climate Change Mr. Ruwan Wijewardene, President’s International Affairs Director Dinouk Colombage and President’s Private Secretary Sandra Perera. (PMD)

Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles undertook an official visit to Singapore at the invitation of Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law of Singapore K Shanmugam from October 25-29.

The delegation participated in a briefing session, arranged by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on Singapore’s legal frameworks in maintaining public order and combating drugs.

Minister Shanmugam who joined the briefing provided an overview of the legal frameworks and the amendments introduced in recent years in both these areas. The two sides also had useful exchanges on lessons learnt in the operational aspects of the related legislation and amendments in a separate session which was joined by Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling and senior officials from the Singapore side.

The Minister’s programme in Singapore also included an interaction with the officials of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) during which a briefing was provided on the transformation and digitalisation plans of ICA documentation and included a tour of the Identity Authentication and Documents Analysis (IADA) Lab.

The two sides exchanged views on current measures being adopted at immigration checkpoints in Singapore and the process that was undertaken during the establishment of the ICA in 2003 to merge the Singapore Immigration & Registration (SIR) and the checkpoint operations of the Customs & Excise Department (CED to meet emerging security challenges.

The Singapore Police Force officials provided a detailed overview of criminal investigation, intelligence, and operational aspects of their work including on the special operations command. A visit to Changi Airport was also conducted where a briefing was provided on Singapore’s latest border security measures.

Minister Shanmugam hosted Minister Alles and delegation to lunch at the conclusion of the visit where matters of mutual interest were discussed.

The delegation accompanying the Minister included the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, senior officials from the Sri Lanka Police and Special Task Force and the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Singapore.

Sri Lanka Cricket says it was notified by the ICC that player Danushka Gunathilaka has been arrested on the allegations of sexual assault of a woman in Sydney.

In a statement, SLC said Gunathilaka is due to appear in court tomorrow (07).

SLC added that it will closely monitor the proceedings in court and, in consultation with the ICC, will expeditiously initiate a thorough inquiry into the matter and take stern action against the player if found guilty.

The batter was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning from the team hotel in Sydney's central business district after a police investigation into reports that a 29-year-old women had been sexually assaulted at a residence in Rose Bay earlier in the week.

Gunathilaka was ruled out of the T20 World Cup during the first round with a hamstring injury.

He was replaced in the squad but remained with the team in Australia.

Actor-politician Jeevan Kumaratunga and his wife Sherin have been questioned in connection with their links with Thilini Priyamali who is in remand custody over massive financial fraud.

The CID obtained their statements on November 05.

Also, actress and businesswoman Sangeetha Weeraratne gave a statement to the CID during a seven-hour-long interrogation yesterday (07).

All three were questioned over their business and other dealings with Priyamali, including her funding of the film ‘Jeeva’ directed by Kumaratunga.

Social media has posted photographs taken at film festivals and other functions that show them together with the accused.

They were also interrogated about an actor and actress who are reportedly evading the CID after having invested millions of rupees in Priyamali’s businesses.

Earlier, actress Semini Iddamalgoda gave a four-hour long statement in connection with the case.

An Extraordinary Gazette has been issued declaring the appointment of a 5 member National Delimitation Committee on Demarcation of Wards for Local Authorities.

The Gazette has been issued by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena under Sub-section (1) of section 3A of the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance.

The Committee is chaired by former election chief Mahinda Deshapriya and includes Jayalath R. V. Dissanayake, W. M. M. R. Adikari, K. Thavalingam and I. A. Hameed.

They have been appointed with effect from 01st of November 2022 up to 28th of February 2023.

Batter Danushka Gunathilaka has been imposed with a national and international ban with immediate effect by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) over sexual assault allegations in Sydney.

Confirming the ban to ‘The Leader’, SLC president Shammi Silva said Gunathilaka’s cricketing future will be decided on the basis of an Australian court decision. Silva said SLC has intervened in the legal process and a ruling is expected. Gunathilaka faces sexual assault charges by a 29-year-old woman in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

He was arrested and charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent.

The Sri Lankan cricketer, aged 31 years, had met the woman victim via a dating app.

Following several days of communicating online, the pair had agreed to meet in person at the Opera Bar in Sydney, after which they proceeded to the victim’s residence located in Rose Bay.

Gunathilaka had allegedly refused to use protection and choked the victim prior to sexual intercourse.

Former SLC chief legal officer Chanaka Senanayake said a bail application was dismissed in court yesterday due to it being a Sunday.

Gunathilaka’s legal representative Ananda Amaranath is confident Gunathilaka will be bailed out at a second hearing this morning.

Janaki Siriwardana, a Sri Lankan corporate personality, has been arrested in connection to the financial fraud linked to businesswoman Thilini Priyamali.

The Police said Janaki Siriwardana was arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) today (04).

According to the Sunday Observer, Janaki Siriwardana was working in the Colombo Fort Krish Project at the time of her involvement with Thilini Priyamali.

She is accused of introducing a businessman to Thilini Priyamali, who is accused of defrauding over Rs. 226 million from the businessman.

Police investigations have revealed that Priyamali had allegedly defrauded Rs. 1.28 billion from several businessmen, politicians, and civil, religious, and political leaders.

Her business partner Isuru Bandara, and Sri Lankan monk Ven. Borelle Sirisumana Thero have been arrested in connection to the financial misappropriation.

Thilini Priyamali, Isusru Bandara, and Ven. Borelle Sirisumana Thero have been remanded till the 16th of November 2022.