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 (02) are Anamaduwa, Moragollagama, Dambulla, Manampitiya and Valaichchenai, at about 12.10 noon.

The Supreme Court yesterday rejected a request that the petitions challenging the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution be heard by a full bench of the Supreme Court.

Rejecting the request, Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena said the consideration of the petitions would proceed before the five-judge bench.

Appearing on behalf of one of the petitioners, President’s Counsel M. A. Sumanthiran made the request when the petitions were called for hearing yesterday before a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Surasena.

President’s Counsel Saliya Pieris, Ali Sabry, Geoffrey Alagaratnam, Eraj de Silva, Srinath Perera, Anura Meddegoda, and Maithri Gunaratne, along with other counsel appearing for several other petitioners, also made the same request.

Solicitor General Viraj Dayaratne, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, pointed out that the authority to determine the composition of a judicial bench rested with the Chief Justice. Refering to Article 132(3) of the Constitution, the Solicitor General argued that the discretion to determine the number of judges on a bench lay with the Chief Justice and that no other party had the authority to interfere in the matter.

Counsel including President’s Counsel Nigel Hatch, appearing for an intervening petitioner, also made submissions pointing out that the discretion to determine the composition of a bench rested with the Chief Justice.

The Colombo High Court yesterday sentenced former Civil Aviation Minister Piyankara Jayaratne to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment after finding him guilty of a corruption charge involving a Rs. 320,000 payment made by state-owned SriLankan Catering Ltd.

Colombo High Court Judge Mohamed Mihail delivered the verdict following a lengthy trial into the transaction, which dates back to the 2014 May Day rally of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA).

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) had indicted Jayaratne, alleging that he abused his position as Civil Aviation Minister by influencing an executive officer of SriLankan Catering to release the funds.

According to the indictment, the money was paid from SriLankan Catering’s accounts to a private catering service in Marawila to provide lunch for Jayaratne’s political supporters who attended the May Day rally.

CIABOC has alleged that the payment caused a loss to the state and constituted an offence of corruption.

Jayaratne was serving as Civil Aviation Minister at the time.