News
Case of female law student being molested in court complex office by monk suppressed?
By A. J. A. Abeynayake
Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne yesterday ordered the OIC of the Children’s and Women’s Bureau of the Maradana police to detail an officer to explain to court how a female law student had been molested in an office complex of the Colombo High Court by a Buddhist monk on August 7.
Counsel appearing for the victim Attorneys-at-law Manju Sri Chandrasena, Achala Seneviratne and others told court that the OIC of the Bureau failed to make submissions to the court with regard to the particular incident.
The judge made the order after she found out that the OIC of the Women’s and Children’s Bureau of the Maradana police had failed to take action on the complaint lodged by the victim although the officer had obtained a statement from the student on August 12 after the victim had complained to the Keselwatte police and the Senior DIG Western Province, who had directed the victim to complain to the particular unit of the Maradana police.
The OIC had even visited the scene of the alleged crime and after obtaining a statement from the victim.
The victim’s counsel told court that the OIC of the Bureau had failed to arrest the suspect and produce him before court although the Senior DIG Western Province had given an order to that effect.
The police had even turned down a request by the victim to provide the case number, her lawyers told court.
The lawyers appearing for the victim told court that the incident which took place in a court complex had been suppressed by interested parties using undue influence on the police.
The Colombo Stock Exchange (GL 12) has contributed LKR 25 million to the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund.
The cheque was handed over to the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake by the Chairman of the Colombo Stock Exchange, Dimuthu Abeyesekera, the Chief Executive Officer Rajeeva Bandaranaike and Senior Vice Chairman Kusal Nissanka at the Presidential Secretariat.
News
Karu argues against scrapping MPs’ pension as many less fortunate members entered Parliament after ’56
Former Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya has written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressing concerns over the proposed abolition of MPs’ pensions.The letter was sent in his capacity as Patron of the Former Parliamentarians’ Caucus.
In his letter, Jayasuriya noted that at the time of Sri Lanka’s independence, political participation was largely limited to an educated, affluent land-owning elite. However, he said a significant social transformation took place after 1956, enabling ordinary citizens to enter politics.
He warned that under current conditions, removing parliamentary pensions would effectively confine politics to the wealthy, business interests, individuals engaged in illicit income-generating activities, and well-funded political parties. Such a move, he said, would discourage honest social workers and individuals of modest means from entering public life.
Jayasuriya also pointed out that while a small number of former MPs, including himself, use their pensions for social and charitable purposes, the majority rely on the pension as a primary source of income.
He urged the President to give due consideration to the matter and take appropriate action, particularly as the government prepares to draft a new constitution.The Bill seeking to abolish pensions for Members of Parliament was presented to Parliament on 07 January by Minister of Justice and National Integration Dr. Harshana Nanayakkara.
Five suspects, including former Minister Johnston Fernando and his two sons, who were arrested by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID), were further remanded until 30 January by the Wattala Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
The former Minister’s , sons Johan Fernando and Jerome Kenneth Fernando, and two others, were arrested in connection with the alleged misuse of a Sathosa vehicle during Fernando’s tenure as Minister.
Investigations are currently underway into the alleged misuse of state property, including a lorry belonging to Lanka Sathosa, which reportedly caused a significant financial loss to the state.
In connection with the same incident, Indika Ratnamalala, who served as the Transport Manager of Sathosa during
Fernando’s tenure as Minister of Co-operatives and Internal Trade, was arrested on 04 January.
After being produced before the Wattala Magistrate’s Court, he was ordered to be remanded in custody until 09 January.The former Sathosa Transport Manager was remanded on charges of falsifying documents.
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