News
Ex-Prez faults SIS Chief
Easter Sunday carnage:
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Former Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena had made a serious error by not informing him of the intelligence received on 4 April, 2019 of a possible terror attack, former President Maithripala Sirisena said on Wednesday night, at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.
Sirisena said that he had instructed Jayawardena to personally inform him of any possible threats to national security.
Jayawardena had been told at the National Security Council (NSC) to make him aware of matters pertaining to the underworld, drug trafficking and other threats to national security, the witness said.
Sirisena added that he had been in constant touch with Jayawardena over the phone.
The Additional Solicitor General (ASG), who led evidence, asked the witness if he had offered former IGP Pujith Jayasundara an ambas sadorial post if Jayasundara had taken responsibility for the Easter Sunday attacks.
“This is not true. I said I would give him such a post when he embarrassed the police by dancing at the Kandy Perahera. I told the IGP to resign as his behaviour was unbecoming of an IGP. This happened way before the Easter Sunday attacks.”
The Commissioners also asked Sirisena about several telephone calls between Jayawardena and the former President’s official residence on Paget Road on 20 April, 2019. On that day, Jayawardena had made two telephone calls to the former President’s residence at 7.59 a.m. and 8.01 a.m, Sirisena was told.
The former President said that he had been told that there had been several bomb blasts and that a large number of people had been killed. However, the ASG pointed out that bomb blasts had not taken place at the time of those calls.
Sirisena said that he might not have received the telephone calls in the morning.
“I was abroad and I can remember his call about an attack,” Sirisena added.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to award the contract for printing and supplying vehicle number plates for the Department of Motor Traffic for a period of five (5) years to M/s South Asian Technologies based on the recommendations of the High-Level Standing Procurement Committee and the Procurement Appeal Board.
The National Lotteries board has been established subject to the Finance Act No. 11 of 1963. Having identified the requirement of amending that act which was imposed around 62 years to cater the current requirements of the lottery market, the Cabinet of Mnisters at their meeting held on 14.02.2017 granted approval to draft a new bill for the purpose.
Accordingly, the National Lotteries Board has recognized further amendments to be performed to the fundamental draft bill prepared by the Legal Draftsmen.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the
resolution furnished by the President in his office as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to direct the Legal Draftsmen to finalize the formulation of the draft bill for the National Lotteries Board as soon as possible including the proposed new amendments as well.
The Werahara office of the Department of Motor Traffic performs issuance of temporary driving licenses in this country based on the driving licenses issued overseas, and measures have been initiated to render the service from a service window of the Department of Motor Traffic established at the Bandaranayake International Airport from 03.08.2025.
The fees charged for issuing temporary driving licenses have been published in Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 prepared under the provisions of the Motor Traffic (Authority 203) Act.
But, as the fee of Rupees 2,000/- charged for the service is not sufficient, the requirement of amending the regulations has been recognized.
The regulations for introducing the revised fees have been published in the government extraordinary gazette
notification No. 2463/04 dated 17.11.2025. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to
submit the regulations to the Parliament for its concurrence.
M/s South Asian Technologies awarded contract to supply vehicle number plates
A new act for National Lotteries Board to be introduced
Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 to be amended
Mrs. P. K. L. S. Panduwawala appointed to the post of Surveyor General
Implementing the programme to provide concession for pepper, coffee and cardamom plantations affected by the disaster
Cabinet nod to obtain diagnostic reports under public-private partnership
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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