Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena yesterday ordered that former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Private Secretary, Sugeeshwara Bandara be further remanded until 11 July pending investigations into allegations of criminal misappropriation of funds allocated under the Presidential Expenditure Head.

The Central Crimes Investigation Bureau arrested Bandara on June 18 and produced him before court in connection with the alleged financial irregularities.

The case was taken up before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court yesterday and the Magistrate rejected Bandara’s bail application.

Bandara is alleged to have misused public funds by drawing salaries and allowances from the Presidential Expenditure Head while simultaneously serving as former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Private Secretary and as Director of Special Projects to former President Ranil Wickremesinghe during the period from July 14, 2022, to December 21, 2024.

Recipient of RSP on nine occasions

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Rear Admiral Ravindra Tissera as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy from 1 July 2026.

In recognition of his battlefield bravery against the LTTE/Sea Tigers, he has been decorated with the Rana Sura Padakkama (RSP), an impressive nine times.

He joined the Executive branch of the Sri Lanka Navy as an Officer Cadet of the 10th Intake of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy (KDA) in 1992. On completion of basic training, he was commissioned as an Acting Sub Lieutenant in 1994 and went on to successfully complete his Sub-Lieutenant Technical Course at the Naval and Maritime Academy in 1999. He specialized in Navigation with the Indian Navy in 2002.

The valiant officer completed his Naval Command and Staff Course in China and the National Defence and Strategic Studies Course at the National Defence College, Sri Lanka. He successfully completed Master of Maritime Policy Degree Programme at University of Wollongong, Australia. Climbing steadily through the ranks during his stellar career, he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral in January 2024.

Throughout his highly decorated career, Rear Admiral Tissera has held numerous key appointments in the Sri Lanka Navy. He has commanded Fast Attack Craft as well as various ships and establishments of the SLN. Furthermore, he has served in pivotal roles including Commanding Officer of the Special Boat Squadron (SBS), Director Naval Personnel, Director General Personnel and Commander Eastern Naval Area. Prior to his elevation as the Chief of Staff, the senior officer served as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy.

A passenger bus plunged into the Talagala stream yesterday (8) morning when a section of the Nuwara Eliya bus terminal collapsed. Bus operators attributed the incident to a delay in repairing a nearby bridge and a retaining wall damaged by Cyclone Ditwah late last year.

While there were no casualties, the bus sustained severe damage in the incident.

Speaking on the matter, Ramya Sudath Gadallage, President of the Nuwara Eliya Private Bus Owners’ Association, accused the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council and relevant authorities of failing to properly reconstruct the site for over six months, leading to this mishap.

He stated that between 7,000 and 15,000 people, including schoolchildren, travelled through the unsafe area daily. He added that bus operators have been compelled to use the location as there is no other alternative terminal available. He accused the authorities of shifting blame to one another instead of taking any initiative to reconstruct the bridge.

Meanwhile, Nuwara Eliya Mayor Upali Wanigasekara, who visited the site to inspect the damage, told the media that all necessary arrangements had already been made to repair the bridge at the bus terminal.

By S.K. Samaranayake