News
COPE summons SriLankan, etc
… accumulated UL losses Rs 326 bn
Representatives of debt-ridden SriLankan Airlines, Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation and several other institutions have been asked to appear before the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), its Chairman Prof. Charitha Herath has said yesterday.
Accumulated losses at SriLankan Airlines have been estimated at Rs 326 bn.
The decision was taken at the special COPE meeting held in Parliament yesterday (22), the Communication Department of Parliament stated in a statement issued.
The following is the text of the statement. The meeting was held to decide on how future meetings should be held in the midst of COVID-19 as COPE Committee meetings could not be held as usual.
Accordingly, the committee members agreed to summon SriLankan Airlines on July 06th and Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation on July 07th before the COPE Committee to review the current context of the relevant institutions.
It is also expected to inquire into the current status of Litro Gas Lanka Company and Litro Gas Terminal Lanka Company under the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation. In addition, the committee members agreed to summon institutions which could not be summoned previously starting from the 08th of July.
Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) meeting in progress (pic courtesy Parliament)
The COPE Committee also focused on the Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund, which is currently under the Mahapola Trust Fund which has been proposed to be taken up in Parliament for debate.
In addition, the methodology for holding COPE Committee meetings in line with health regulations in the face of the prevailing COIVD situation was also taken into discussion. Accordingly, o6 officials the Chairman of the relevant Government institution, officials in charge of institutional accounts as well as the respective Secretary to the relevant Ministry of which the government institution is affiliated to, are scheduled to be summoned before the Committee whilst attention will be given in having the other officials connect through a digital platform.
Ministers Mahinda Amaraweera, Sarath Weerasekera, State Ministers Susil Premajayantha, Indika Anuruddha Herath, D.V. Chanaka, Members of Parliament Rauff Hakeem, Jagath Pushpakumara, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Eran Wickramaratne, Harsha de Silva, Nalin Bandara, S.M. Marikkar were present at the COPE meeting.
The official appointment letters for the members of the newly established “Cricket Transformation Committee” (CTC) were handed over on Monday (04) by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage.
The following members received their letters of appointment at the Ministry premises:
Sidath Wettimuny
Thushira Radella
Prakash Schaffter
Ms. Avanthi Colombage
The Ministry also noted that veteran cricketers Roshan Mahanama and Kumar Sangakkara, who are key members of the committee, are currently overseas. Their official appointments will be formalised immediately upon their arrival in Sri Lanka.
The Cricket Transformation Committee has been mandated to oversee the administration and drive structural reforms within Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in accordance with the powers vested in the Minister under the Sports Act No. 25 of 1973.
Three prison guards attached to the Welikada Prison have been arrested by Borella Police following the death of an inmate on Monday (04).
‘Bar Association must reveal its stand’
Civil society group ‘Free Lawyers’ has requested Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena to probe whether political pressure was brought on a Magistrate, or a High Court Judge, in respect of an ongoing high profile case.
Speaking to The Island on behalf of ‘Free Lawyers,’ Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon said that they felt the urgent need to seek the CJ’s intervention, following the May Day declaration by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake that the verdict of a case that was heard on 30 April would be given on 25 May. Tennakoon said that addressing the NPP’s main May Day rally at Maharagama, the President asked the people to be ready to celebrate that verdict. The President couldn’t have said so if he hadn’t been aware of the impending verdict, Tennakoon said, while emphasising the responsibility on the part of the Bar Association to state its position on the issue.
‘Free Lawyers’ recently captured pubic attention following its exposure of the theft of USD 2.5 mn from the Treasury.
Responding to a query, Tennakoon said that on behalf of ‘Free Lawyers,’ Maithri Gunaratne, PC, on Monday, 4 April, wrote to both CJ Surasena and President of the Bar Association Rajeev Amarasuriya.
Alleging that President Dissanayake’s declaration caused immense harm to the independence of the judiciary and raised controversy over the judgement that would be given on 25 May, ‘Free Lawyers’ organisation also asked the CJ to inquire into whether the entire judicial process was under political pressure.
Tennakoon said that they expect the Bar Association to reveal its position on President Dissanayake’s statement. Tennakoon pointed out that during the May Day address, President Dissanayake made reference to 15 cases that were to be taken up during this month, whereas Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister, as well as Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake, mentioned nearly 10 names of politicians, both sitting and former lawmakers, to be summoned beginning, May.
Tennakoon said that the NPP appeared to have used May Day to counter growing accusations over the Colombo port container controversy, coal scam, Rs 13.2 bn NDB fraud and theft of USD 2.5 mn from the Treasury and USD 625,000 from the Sri Lanka Postal Service.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
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