News
Dinesh questions SL Core Group’s reluctance to peruse Lord Naseby’s disclosure
…absence of reference to Easter Sunday carnage worrisome
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that overall perception of post-war Sri Lanka would change if those who had moved an accountability resolution in Geneva five years ago on unsubstantiated accusations examined Lord Naseby’s disclosure pertaining to 2009 when Sri Lankan military brought the war to a successful end.
Minister Gunawardena told The Island that continuing refusal or reluctance on the part of those reportedly concerned about genuine post-war reconciliation process to review the Geneva resolution after Lord Naseby exposed the truth cleared Sri Lanka of war crimes was puzzling.
On one hand unsubstantiated reports, claims, analysis and accusations had been accepted by a section of the international community but accurate wartime British diplomatic dispatches from Colombo were continued to be hidden and disregarded, the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) leader said.
Responding to questions, Minister Gunawardena pointed out that Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) should have never intruded in the constitution making process. The Minister was referring to 2016 Geneva statement on constitution making process undertaken by the previous yahapalana administration. Interested parties exploited unproved war crimes accusations to create an environment conducive to pave the way for a new Constitution tailor made to serve their agenda, Minister Gunawardena alleged. In spite of those propagated lies being exposed by Lord Naseby, an attempt was being made to sustain the despicable strategy.
Commenting on the recent statement issued by the self-appointed Sri Lanka Core Group in Geneva, Minister Gunawardena said that reference to Attorney-at-law Hejaaz Hizbullah taken into custody over his alleged involvement with those responsible for THE heinous 2019 Easter Sunday attacks was quite disturbing. A concerned Minister said that the Geneva statement made no reference why Hejaaz Hizbullah was taken in nearly a year after suicide bombings claimed the lives of approximately 270 men, women and children. Blasts wounded over 400 persons. “Hejaaz Hizbullah matter is now before the country’s highest court,” Minister Gunawardena said adding that “the National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) responsible for Easter Sunday massacre posed quite a threat to Sri Lanka. Members of the Core Group comprising the UK, Canada, Germany, North Macedonia and Montenegro couldn’t be unaware of the NTJ threat.
The Minister pointed out how the Attorney General compared the role played by Hejaaz Hizbullah to that of the late British passport holder Anton Balasingham, the LTTE theoretician.
Balasingham passed away in Dec 2006 in the UK. His Australian born wife, who brazenly promoted LTTE terrorism and went to the extent of handing over cyanide capsules to women LTTE cadres lives in the UK.
Minister Gunawardena said that those who had been routinely critical of the government of Sri Lanka in respect of accountability issues et al conveniently forgot Sri Lanka’s post-war efforts to address grievances of the Tamil community. In spite of knowing that the one-time LTTE mouthpiece TNA was certain to comfortably secure the Northern Provincial Council, the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa conducted the election believing the regional administration would work for the people. Instead, they propagated lies abroad at the expense of genuine post-war reconciliation, the minister said.
Minister Gunawardena said that he recently briefed the cabinet of ministers regarding the UK statement.
Responding to another query, the Foreign Minister alleged that some interested parties were making an effort to sustain pressure on the country on the basis of bogus war crimes accusations.
COPF final report on USD 2.5 mn cyber fraud recommends action against all responsible
The US$2.5 million loss incurred during Sri Lanka’s foreign debt repayment to Australia was a clear case of a cybercrime and theft, Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chairman Dr. Harsha de Silva told Parliament yesterday.
Presenting the COPF final report on the cyber fraud, Dr. de Silva said the incident amounted to a serious financial crime and called for a comprehensive investigation, by law enforcement authorities, to identify and prosecute all those responsible.
The report revealed serious governance, procedural and operational failures that enabled the fraudulent transfer of public funds, while recommending sweeping reforms to strengthen cybersecurity, financial controls and public debt management systems.
According to the report, officials of the Treasury and the Central Bank bore responsibility for governance lapses that contributed to the failures. It also highlighted the fact that the Ministry of Finance was operating an outdated Microsoft Exchange Server after security support had ended, while basic safeguards, such as multi-factor authentication, had not been implemented.
The COPF said suspicious payment instructions linked to debt repayments involving India, the United Kingdom, Germany and Belgium had also been detected, preventing further losses. However, the US$ 2.5 million fraud materialised only in the repayment transaction involving Australia.
The report has noted that officials had failed to verify lender email domains, relied on unverified email communications and lacked adequate internal controls, allowing the fraud to continue for months.
Although the investigation uncovered system-wide weaknesses across several institutions, only four mid-level Finance Ministry officials had been suspended so far, the report said.
The COPF has recommended a special audit of the foreign debt repayment process, strengthened cybersecurity measures across state institutions, updated financial regulations and improvements to public debt management systems.
by Saman Indrajith
News
Opposition signs no-confidence motion against Justice Minister for dereliction of duty over Negombo Prison deaths
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, together with Opposition MPs, yesterday signed a No-Confidence Motion (NCM) in Parliament against Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara.The move comes in response to the unrest at the Negombo Prison, where both prison officers and inmates were killed.
Opposition members said the Minister had failed to fulfill his responsibility and accountability regarding their safety.According to the Opposition group, the NCM seeks to hold the Minister directly accountable for lapses in ensuring protection within the prison system.
The Attorney General yesterday informed the Supreme Court that the government has decided to review the legality of agreements entered into by the previous administration to hand over the country’s electronic visa issuance operations to private companies.
Additional Solicitor General Viveka Siriwardena, appearing for the Attorney General, made the submission when the Supreme Court took up the fundamental rights petitions filed by former MPs President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran, Patali Champika Ranawaka, and Rauff Hakeem, challenging the previous Cabinet’s decision to outsource the e-visa system.
The petitions were heard before a three-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justices Achala Wengappuli and Arjuna Obeyesekere.
The Additional Solicitor General informed court that the current Cabinet had appointed a subcommittee to examine the legality of the agreements with the private companies and requested time to report on its findings, stating that the review was still underway.
President’s Counsel Sumanthiran, appearing as one of the petitioners, told the court that although the present government had indicated its intention to cancel the transaction, the petitioners wished to proceed with the case.
He noted that members of the current Cabinet had been named as respondents in the petitions.The Supreme Court directed the petitioners to issue notice on the members of the current Cabinet, named as respondents, and fixed September 29 for further proceedings.
History takes centre stage as Mandhana, Harmanpreet fifties steer India
Spain leave it late to book semifinal date with France
Showers will occur in the Sabaragamuwa, Western and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
US$ 2.5 mn cyber heist exposes system failures
Opposition signs no-confidence motion against Justice Minister for dereliction of duty over Negombo Prison deaths
AG informs SC of e-visa agreement review
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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