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JVP calls on officials caught over immunoglobulin scam to spill the beans on political masters behind it
By Saman Indrajith
Investigations on immunoglobulin scam are taking turns to confirm again and again that public servants would finally have to be responsible personally themselves for carrying out illegal orders given to them by their political masters, says the JVP-led NPP.
Addressing a press conference held at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, NPP General Secretary Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe on Tuesday said: “The law says that every government worker must check if the orders they get from politicians are fair and make sense. They should only follow orders that feel right to them and don’t go against what they believe is right.
“This is now further affirmed as immunoglobulin scam is being probed and public servants are held liable for carrying out illegal orders by their political masters. We all know that officials implement the orders given to them by political authorities including the minister. However, the law provides that the public officials must act within the frame of legality despite the orders by their higher ups. If they carry out all the orders without hesitation and ascertain that they are manifestly justifiable, then the officials will become the offenders. This is relevant for the officials now being hauled up before the law pertaining to the immunoglobulin scam,” Dr. Abeysinghe said.
NPP National Executive Committee member and JVP former Kalutara District MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa: “People could ascertain the quality of most of the consumables they purchase from the market. They can choose and buy commodities such as coconuts, fish or clothes, but they cannot do that with regard to medicine. It is the duty of the government to ensure that citizens get the right medicine. The regulation of medicine being provided is with the government.”
“There are many regulatory bodies set up and functioning using public money. It has been found that 22,500 units of questionable immunoglobulin have been purchased from last July to September and distributed among government hospitals. There had been many complaints of side-effects after providing these medicines to patients especially from Colombo, Kandy and Matale hospitals.
Subsequent tests found that the medicines were harmful. Investigations have found there had been a business transaction of around one billion rupees and there is evidence of many malpractices, underhand deals, breaking of laws and regulations and wrongdoings throughout the process of purchasing immunoglobulin. Now the officials’ heads are on the block and it’s time for them to reveal the names of politicians involved in this, so that people could make a decision on them in coming elections,” Dr Jayatissa said.
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Sun directly overhead Mannar, Periyamadu, Puliyankulam, Welioya and Pulmoddai about 12.11 noon today (30)
The sun is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 28th of August to 07th of September due to its apparent southward relative motion.
The nearest places of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (30) are Mannar, Periyamadu, Puliyankulam, Welioya and
Pulmoddai about 12.11 noon.
(AFP) Sri Lanka’s maritime authorities were monitoring a fleet of 11 US-sanctioned Iranian oil tankers just off the island’s southern coast, the foreign minister said Wednesday.
The tankers were spotted close to the Galle harbour where an Iranian frigate, IRIS Dena, was sunk by a US submarine in March, killing 104 sailors. Sri Lanka’s navy rescued 32 Iranian sailors from that frigate.
Iranian vessels have been in limbo, unable to return to their home port because of a US blockade.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign minister Vijitha Herath said the tankers were in international waters where they had freedom of navigation.
“These ships are away from our territorial waters… we have no hold on them, nor have we facilitated them,” Herath told AFP.
The military deployed reconnaissance aircraft and patrol boats to monitor the vessels outside Sri Lanka’s 12-nautical-mile territorial waters, a military official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“There is no indication of any ship-to-ship transfer of oil or illegal discharge of pollutants, so there is no basis for Sri Lankan authorities to take action against them,” the official said.
Many Iranian merchant vessels moved east towards the Strait of Malacca and Singapore due to US sanctions, while several remained near Sri Lankan waters, authorities said.
Sri Lankan officials said Washington had not formally notified Colombo about sanctioned Iranian-flagged vessels
Parliament is to debate next Wednesday the Government’s proposal to abolish the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), with the Second Reading of the Chief of Defence Staff (Repeal) Bill scheduled for September 9.
The Bill seeks to repeal the Chief of Defence Staff Act No. 35 of 2009, which was introduced shortly after the end of the armed conflict.
According to Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera, Parliament will meet from September 8 to 11, with the business for the week approved by the Committee on Parliamentary Business chaired by Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne.
The debate on the Chief of Defence Staff (Repeal) Bill is scheduled to take place from 11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, following questions to the Prime Minister and other parliamentary business.
The CDS post was established under the 2009 Act as part of the country’s higher defence command structure.
On Tuesday, September 8, the House will consider two Orders published in Extraordinary Gazettes under the Motor Traffic Act from 11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m., followed by an Opposition motion at the adjournment.
On Thursday, September 10, Parliament will debate a Resolution under the Women’s Empowerment Act.
The final sitting day of the week, Friday, September 11, has been allocated from 11.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. for several Private Members’ Motions.
The motions will cover issues including regulation of the petroleum, fuel and water industries, measures to increase the birth rate, protection of the Diyagama Forest, pension deductions affecting Pirivena teachers, food-crop cultivation in mountainous areas, development of the Kithul industry and the establishment of a Faculty of Medicine at South Eastern University.
Questions at the adjournment will be taken up at the end of each sitting day.
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Showers in the Sabaragamuwa, Western and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
Sun directly overhead Mannar, Periyamadu, Puliyankulam, Welioya and Pulmoddai about 12.11 noon today (30)
Lanka tracks 11 US-sanctioned Iranian tankers off coast
House to debate abolition of Chief of Defence Staff post
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