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CA grants leave to proceed with petition challenging controversial road expansion through the Sinharaja Forest Reserve under Gotabaya Presidency

Published

10 months ago

2025/06/21

The Court of Appeal yesterday (20) granted leave to proceed with a petition challenging the controversial road expansion through the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, a UNESCO-designated protected area, during the tenure of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The petition, filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice and its Executive Director Hemantha Withanage, argues that a narrow 8-foot-wide road was being illegally widened to 15 feet under the direct intervention of the former President, allegedly to provide easier access to tourist hotels and lodges said to be linked to politicians and their associates in the region.

Appearing for the petitioners, Senior Attorney-at-Law Dr. Ravindranath Dabare told the Court that the project had already caused serious environmental damage, including the destruction of centuries-old, ecologically valuable trees on both sides of the route. He further claimed that such actions were not part of the original environmental or feasibility assessments.

The Court, presided over by Justice Gihan Kulatunga, issued notices to the respondents and ordered that they appear before the Court. The respondents named in the petition include the Director General of Forest Conservation, the Director General of the Central Environmental Authority, former Ministers C.B. Rathnayake (Wildlife and Forest Conservation), Mahinda Amaraweera (Environment), and Chamal Rajapaksa (Road Development), as well as the Attorney General.

The petitioners assert that in August 2020, heavy machinery, such as backhoes, was used in the construction process, causing significant harm to the forest’s biodiversity and genetic resources. They also argue that no state agency had legal authority to approve such expansion, and called for a full investigation.

The petition, originally filed in March 2021, was taken up with legal representation for the respondents led by Senior State Counsel Nayomi Kahawita for the Attorney General. The petitioners were represented by Dr. Ravindranath Dabare along with Attorneys Samanthi Ponnamperuma and Mathasha Jayasinghe.

By AJA Abeynayake ✍️

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Treasury chief’s citizenship details sought from Australia

Published

14 mins ago

2026/04/29

Sahan Weerasooriya

Nagananda / Harshana

New controversy erupts over missing USD 2.5 mn:

Public interest activist Nagananda Kodituwakku has sought citizenship details of Finance Ministry Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma from the Department of Home Affairs, Australia.

According to a letter dated 28 April, addressed to the relevant department, Solicitor England and Wales Kodituwakku sought the required information in terms of Section 15 of the Freedom of Information Act No 3 of 1982 of Australia. Suriyapperuma is also the Secretary to the Treasury.

The former Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Suriyapperuma (from November 2024 to June 2025) is embroiled in a deepening controversy over the theft of USD 2.5 mn from the Treasury.

The leader of the Vinivida Foundation said that he intended to move court against Suriyapperuma for entering Parliament through the NPP National List in violation of the country’s Constitution (Article 91(1)(d)(xiiii).

Kodituwakku said: “This is clearly an accountability and integrity issue and violation of the Constitution of Sri Lanka and also this act contravenes the law of a member in the Commonwealth.”

USD 2.5 mn paid to a third party was meant to be an instalment of a loan taken from Australia. Suriyapperuma neither responded to an SMS nor answered his hand phone.

Geetha Kumarasinghe (UPFA/Galle District) and Diana Gamage (SJB National List) lost their seats in 2017 and 2024, respectively, over citizenship issues.

Meanwhile, public interest group ‘Free Lawyers’ that exposed the theft of Treasury funds questioned the failure on the part of Dr. Harsha de Silva, Chairman of Committee on Public Finance (CoPF), to pressure President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to temporarily remove Suriyapperuma to facilitate unhindered investigations.

On behalf of ‘Free Lawyers’, Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon yesterday expressed concern over the way the CoPF, under SJBer de Silva’s leadership, handled the issue at hand. Issuing an open letter, Tennakoon, urged the CoPF chief to explain his stand on a spate of vital issues which needed to be addressed without any further delay.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

News

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake handing over a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhiya in Anuradhapura to Ven Bhikku Pannakara

Published

16 mins ago

2026/04/29

Sahan Weerasooriya

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake handing over a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhiya in Anuradhapura to Ven Bhikku Pannakara (Sue Tue Nhan) at the conclusion of the 161 km ‘International Peace Walk’ in Colombo yesterday. The Bo-sapling will be taken to the US by the spiritual leader. Pic by Sujata Jayaratne

News

USD 625,000 meant for US Postal Service goes missing

Published

17 mins ago

2026/04/29

Sahan Weerasooriya

Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa yesterday revealed that a USD 625,000 payment made by Sri Lanka’s Department of Posts to the US Postal Service (USPS) had not been received by the intended party.

The declaration was made at the post-Cabinet media briefing.

According to the Minister, an investigation has been initiated into the incident.

The Minister said that an investigation was underway within the Sri Lanka Postal Department regarding the missing funds paid to the US Postal Service.

He added that the US Postal Service has indicated the non-receipt of a payment amounting to USD 625,000, and that investigations were being conducted by both the Postal Department and the CID to determine how the incident occurred.