News

Duminda, 16 LTTE cadres among 93 released by Prez: BASL writes to President, seeks explanation

Published

5 years ago

2021/06/25

Former Colombo District UPFA MP Duminda Silva and 16 LTTE cadres detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) were given a presidential pardon yesterday to mark Poson full moon Poya. They were among 93 persons released yesterday.

Duminda Silva and 12 others were accused of 17 charges including the murder of MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and four others on October 8, 2011. A special three-member panel of High Court judges acquitted seven suspects and sentenced five, including former MP Silva to death on September 8th 2016. The President of the court, however, dissented with the judgment. Subsequently, it transpired in taped conversations that former MP Ranjan Ramanayake, now in prison for contempt of the Supreme Court, had discussed with one of the judges in the case to have Duminda Silva convicted. Ramanayake had similar conversations with ex-Director of the CID Shani Abeysekera on Silva.

Silva, and three others sentenced to death appealed to the Supreme Court to declared the manner in which they were sentenced was unlawful. The Supreme Court on 11 October 2018 rejected the appeal and upheld the lower court’s ruling.

Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka and Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa on June 22 requested in parliament Justice Minister Ali Sabry to do justice by the ex-Tigers languishing in jail for many years either by rehabilitating them or by presenting their cases to the Attorney General.

A group of SLPP lawmakers in late Oct, 2020 signed a petition circulated by the Chief Government Whip seeking presidential pardon for former MP Duminda Silva.

Attorney-at-law Rajeev Amarasuriya, Secretary, Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) yesterday issued the following statement regarding the presidential pardon granted to Duminda Silva, one-time Monitoring MP for the Defence Ministry: “The attention of the Executive Committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has been drawn to a pardon given by His Excellency the President to Duminda Silva, a prisoner who was convicted for unlawful assembly and murder by a High Court at Bar, which was unanimously affirmed by a Divisional Bench of the Supreme Court headed by the then Chief Justice Priyasath Dep.

Whilst Article 34(1) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka allows the President to grant such a pardon, either free or subject to lawful considerations, the proviso to Article 34 (1) requires the President to call for a report from the Judge who tried the case where the offender has been condemned to death. Such report is required to be forwarded to the Attorney General for advice and the proviso also requires the Attorney General’s opinion to be referred to the Minister of Justice who too is required to submit a recommendation to the President.

It is the right of the public to know whether the said pardon has been granted in accordance with the report of the trial Judges, the opinion of the Attorney General and the recommendation of the Minister of Justice. As such, the BASL has written to His Excellency the President requesting to make the public aware whether such report, opinion or recommendation do exist and if so whether they in fact recommend or do not recommend such pardon to Duminda Silva.

Whilst the President has the power and discretion to pardon, such discretion must always be exercised judiciously. Such power must not be exercised arbitrarily and selectively.

The BASL is mindful that in the past too there have been instances where selective pardons have been granted without any material to justify the basis on which the respective prisoners were selected for granting of such pardons, and the BASL has on those occasions strongly taken up the same position which the BASL is now taking up.

Any pardon to be granted under Article 34 of the Constitution should be made after a careful analysis of the necessity to grant such a pardon as stipulated in the proviso to Article 34 (1) of the Constitution.

In the aforesaid circumstances, the BASL has written to the President and requested that His Excellency convey to the BASL and to the general public :-

(a) The basis on which Duminda Silva was selected for the purpose of granting a pardon under Article

34 (1) of the Constitution;

(b) The circumstances which were taken into consideration in the granting of such pardon;

(d) Whether a report was called for by His Excellency the President from the Trial Judges as required by the Proviso to Article 34 (1) prior to granting of the pardon to Duminda Silva and if so the contents of the report;

(e) Whether the advice of the Attorney General was called for prior to granting of the pardon to Duminda Silva and if so the contents of such advice;

(f) Whether the recommendation of the Minister of Justice was obtained prior to granting of the pardon to Duminda Silva and if so whether the Minister of Justice made such a recommendation;

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka maintains that if any one or more considerations stated above, were not satisfied in the current case, the pardon granted to Duminda Silva would be unreasonable and arbitrary and will result in erosion to the Rule of Law and result in a loss of public confidence in respect of the administration of justice.”

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News

House erupts over suspension of Deputy Secretary General

Published

22 hours ago

2026/02/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday raised concerns over the recent suspension of Parliament’s Deputy Secretary General and Chief of Staff, G.K.A. Chaminda Kumara Kularatne, alleging that the process appeared to be mala fide. Addressing Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne in Parliament, Premadasa said that the existence of a personal disagreement between the Speaker and the suspended official had created a potential conflict of interest.

Premadasa said disciplinary action against senior parliamentary officials had to be taken in keeping with established parliamentary precedents. He also questioned the legality and propriety of a lower-ranking official leading an inquiry against a senior officer.

“For the first time, we are witnessing a rift between the Speaker and the staff of the Secretary-General. All parties must step back, act democratically and ensure that the fundamental rights of Chaminda Kularatne are safeguarded,” he added.

ITAK Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam said Kularatne had not been given an opportunity to respond to the allegations made against him.

“This is a disgraceful situation. A complaint has been lodged against you with the Bribery Commission. Parliament is the supreme institution of democracy in this country, and the precedent being created here is dangerous,” Rasamanickam said, addressing the Speaker.

SJB Kandy District MP Chamindranee Kiriella said the Speaker was duty-bound to inform the House before disciplinary action was taken against a parliamentary official. SJB MP Ajith P. Perera said it was unethical for the Speaker to assume a leadership role in the inquiry, and called for the matter to be entrusted to an independent authority.

Responding on behalf of the Government, Chief Government Whip and Health and Mass Media Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa said the chief investigating officer, S.K. Liyanage, an Additional Secretary, had been appointed by the Staff Advisory Committee on 25 August, 2025. He said Liyanage had been selected from a pool of qualified officers at the Ministry of Public Administration and had prior experience in conducting investigations.

Leader of the House and Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake said the Staff Advisory Committee had agreed on the respective powers of parliamentary officials, noting that the Secretary General would hold powers equivalent to those of Ministry Secretary, while the Deputy Secretary General would hold powers equivalent to those of an Additional Secretary.

“There is no irregularity in the conduct of the investigation or in the appointment of the investigating officers,” Rathnayake said.

On 24 January, 2026, Parliament announced the immediate suspension of Deputy Secretary General and Chief of Staff Chaminda Kularatne with effect from 23 January, citing concerns relating to his appointment. Kularatne had assumed duties on 15 September, 2023.

On Monday, Kularatne filed a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption against Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne, alleging corruption. His legal counsel, Attorney-at-Law Mithun Dias, said the complaint had been filed against the Speaker in his personal capacity and not against the government.

However, Dr Jayatissa told the House that the investigation into Kularatne was based on concerns relating to his appointment, qualifications and the process by which he had been confirmed in that post and was not linked to any personal dispute with the Speaker.

By Saman Indrajith

News

78th Independence Day celebrations at Bogambara Stadium

Published

22 hours ago

2026/02/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

The 78th Independence Day celebrations in the Central Province are scheduled to be held today from 8:00 AM at the Bogambara Stadium, Kandy.

The celebrations are jointly organised by the Central Provincial Council and the Kandy District Secretariat. The Governor of the Central Province, Prof. S.B.S. Abeykoon, is expected to grace the occasion as the Chief Guest.

The event will also see the participation of Kandy District Members of Parliament, the Chief Secretary of the Central Province, Mr. Ajith Premathilake, as well as representatives from the Tri-Forces, Police, school students, and various voluntary organisations.

The ceremony will feature a formal parade and cultural performances by school children.

By S.K. Samaranayake

News

Colombo-Kandy railway line to be fully restored this year – Minister Bimal

Published

22 hours ago

2026/02/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development, Bimal Rathnayake, has announced that the reconstruction of the Colombo-Kandy railway line, which was severely damaged by landslides in the Balana and Kadugannawa areas, will be completed within this year to restore normal train services.

The Minister made this statement during the Kandy District Development Committee meeting held at the District Secretariat. He noted that work will commence following the observations and technical reports provided by the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) regarding the stability of the landslide-affected areas.

Financial Management and Development

Minister Rathnayake emphasised that the government possesses the necessary funds for development projects.

“Our government has the funds. However, all officials must ensure these funds are managed efficiently so that they are fully utilised for development, without being returned to the Treasury at the end of the year,” he stressed.

Improvements in Public Transport

Highlighting the progress in the transport sector, the Minister shared several key updates

• Recruitment: 700 new employees have been recruited to the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) and are currently undergoing training.

• School Transport: Steps are being taken to strengthen the ‘Sisu Sariya’ school bus service within the Kandy District.

• Infrastructure: The reconstruction of the Peradeniya Black Bridge (Kalu Paalama), which was damaged during the ‘Ditwah’ disaster, is nearing completion.

Welfare facilities for Private Transport Workers

The Minister also revealed plans to support the welfare of private bus drivers and conductors.

“We must look after the workers in the private transport sector as well. We are planning to establish a welfare fund for them and are taking steps to include them in the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) system,” he added.

Concluding his remarks, the Minister urged state officials to perform their duties responsibly and ensure that the inefficiencies seen under previous administrations do not recur.

By S.K. Samaranayake