News
Local ‘mafia’ campaigning to derail sale of star sapphire cluster to prospective global buyers
Gem and Jewellery Authority Chairman says
By Suresh Perera
A local ‘mafia’ has unleashed an organized campaign of misinformation to thwart the sale of the star sapphire cluster unearthed at Pelmadulla near Ratnapura to prospective international buyers, a top industry official asserted.
“They are trying to deliberately devalue the precious gemstone in an attempt to discourage global bids so that they can make a kill after procuring it for a rock-bottom price”, says Tilak Weerasinghe, Chairman of the Gem and Jewellery Authority.
The rare gemstone weighing 510-kilograms or 2.5 million carats, described by the Authority as the “world’s biggest star sapphire cluster”, has been estimated to be worth US$ 100 million or possibly more. It surfaced from the backyard of a house when some workers were digging a well at Pelmadulla near Ratnapura known as the “city of gems”.
The negative publicity on the worth of the star sapphire cluster has emanated from the local ‘mafia’ keen to put prospective international buyers off track so that they can grab the rare find for a fraction of its worth, he said.
“Many international buyers have already shown a keen interest in procuring it”.
There are collectors who make fantastic offers to buy rare gemstones of this calibre, Weerasinghe pointed out. “I am confident we will be able to fetch a record price for it”.
He said the BBC report on unearthing a star sapphire cluster of this magnitude not found anywhere in the world so far triggered a frenzy with scores of prospective global collectors and buyers expressing interest in purchasing it.
Two persons described as “professionals in the lapidary field” dismissed speculation that the gemstone was not “worth millions of dollars”, as claimed.
Expressing their views on a television channel, one of them said the gemstone was basically a “museum piece” and estimated its worth to be around one million rupees.
The other person placed its value at around Rs. 400,000 and said he had more precious gems in his possession.
The fact that the star sapphire cluster was described as a “museum piece” itself shows that it’s priceless, Weerasinghe interjected. “We cannot fix prices to exhibits in a museum”.
This precious gemstone is a part of our national pride, he stressed. “It will be an honor to our country to bestow it to the world”.
Those who live like frogs in a well don’t understand that there’s a world beyond which appreciates and rewards what’s of worth and value, the Chairman noted. “People with their own agendas want to paint a different picture to achieve their own ends”.
Outlining that as a professional he has dealt with precious stones and also traveled to multiple world capitals on related work, Weerasinghe recalled the sale of a 25-kilo rare gemstone for millions of dollars at a London auction some time back.
Apart from precious gemstones, even the personal belongings of celebrities such as Michael Jackson have fetched millions of dollars at public auctions, he continued.
Asked whether the star sapphire cluster was unearthed at Pelmedulla about a year ago, he replied, “yes, only the owner of the property and I knew about it. We kept it under wraps until the pandemic situation both here and globally improved to make the announcement so that we could secure a good price for it”.
“Over the past year, it was cut and polished and a valuation done after it was analyzed and certified to be ready for the market”.
He said there will be a 25% tax component to the Sri Lankan government on the sale price of the gemstone.
State Minister of Gem and Jewelery Related Industries, Lohan Ratwatte, said that Sri Lanka is also looking at placing the precious gemstone for bidding at an auction in China in November this year.
During the cleaning process, a few stones that dislodged were found to be high quality star sapphires. They were pale blue in colour, officials said.
However, despite the euphoria about the prospect of the star sapphire raising millions of dollars, some experts have warned that though the specimen has a high carat value at 2.5 million, all the stones within the cluster may not be of high-quality.
“It remains to be seen how an international valuation will play out”.
By Saman Indrajith
Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma told Parliament yesterday (25) that SriLankan Airlines was in debt due to political interference under previous governments.
Answering a question raised by Anuradhapura District SJB MP Rohana Bandara, Dr. Suriyapperuma said that such interference had resulted in an ongoing case in international courts.
Dr. Suriyapperuma stated that SriLankan Airlines had earned notoriety for corruption not only here but also abroad.
“Currently, there is an ongoing case in an international court over claims that commissions were sought in respect of the purchase of aircraft. Aircraft have been leased at exorbitant rates, far beyond prevailing market rates,” he said, adding that the actions and decisions of past regimes over the last few decades regarding SriLankan Airlines must be taken into account when examining its debt.
Outlining the measures taken by the government to tackle the staggering debt, the Deputy Minister of Finance said that a five-year programme would be implemented from 2025 to 2030.
Dr. Suriyapperuma explained that despite the allocation of Rs. 20 billion from the 2025 Budget for SriLankan Airlines, the funds would not be utilised for the airline’s operational expenses. Instead, the management had been tasked with transforming it into a self-sustaining entity. Discussions had already begun with relevant stakeholders to restructure the debt, which includes loans obtained in US dollars.
Dr. Suriyapperuma revealed that SriLankan Airlines had been paying USD 900,000 per month in installments for three aircraft that had remained unused for several years. He added that the national carrier currently owned a total of 22 aircraft and employed 3,194 staff members in its main airline operations, along with 2,862 employees in its strategic business units.
Dr. Suriyapperuma also highlighted that the Ministry was currently evaluating those plans, with the expectation of achieving operational profitability and securing government support within the five-year period.
Suriyapperuma assured that measures would be taken to address SriLankan Airlines’ debt without burdening the public.
… Easter Sunday carnage suspects among them
The government has issued a gazette extending the ban on several Tamil diaspora groups, alleging they supported “terrorism-related activities,” The Tamil Guardian has reported.
The gazette, signed by Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal (retd.) Sampath Thuyyakontha, declared that these organisations have “repeatedly provided financial support for terrorism.” As a result, their financial and economic assets remain frozen, and Sri Lankans are prohibited from having any contact with them. Those that do risk being arrested.
The list also reaffirms the ban on 222 individuals allegedly linked to terrorism.
The organisations blacklisted by the Sri Lankan government include:
* Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
* Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO)
* Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC)
* World Tamil Movement (WTM)
* Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE)
* World Tamil Relief Fund (WTRF)
* National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT)
* Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO)
Other organisations listed include several linked to Islamic groups, such as the National Towhead Jema’ah (NTJ) and the Sri Lanka Islamic Student Movement (SLISM).
The Tamil Guardian reported that successive Sri Lankan governments have used terrorism laws to ban Tamil organisations that continue to function openly and legally in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and throughout Europe. This ban, however, stifles links between these diaspora organisations and Tamils, making it a criminal offence for Sri Lankan citizens to maintain contact with them.
The reposition of the ban follows a pattern seen in previous years. In 2024, Sri Lanka renewed its prohibition of Tamil diaspora organisations, days after India extended its own ban on the LTTE. The move was widely condemned as politically motivated and an attempt to justify Sri Lanka’s military presence in the “Tamil homeland”.
The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) on Tuesday said that 7,258 persons from 2,295 families, in the Ratnapura and Kalutara districts,were facing drinking water shortages due to the prevailing dry weather.
Ratnapura had also experienced the highest temperature in the country in the 24 hours that ended at 9 am on Tuesday, the Met Department said.
Director General of the DMC, Major General (retd.) Udaya Herath said that they were providing drinking water to the affected families using trucks carrying water.
The DMC said that dry weather was prevailing across the country and the public had to remain hydrated.
However, despite the dry weather, tanks used for irrigation had adequate water until May 2025, the Irrigation Department said.
Deputy Director – Weather Forecasting and Early Warning, M.M.P Mendis, told the media on Tuesday that Sri Lanka received very little rain in the months of February and March. However, the Department expected rains to commence from yesterday in some parts of the country.
USD 900,000 paid monthly for three unused SriLankan aircraft– Dy. Finance Minister
NPP govt. continues ban on Tamil organisations
Over 2,000 families face drinking water shortages due to drought in two districts
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