News

Easter Sunday carnage case: Hemasiri, Pujith acquitted and released

Published

5 years ago

2022/02/19

Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former IGP Pujith Jayasundara posing for a photo after both were exonerated of all charges against them. The Attorney General had filed 855 charges against each of them for not preventing the Easter Sunday carnage despite receiving prior information about the attacks.. Pic by Jude Denzil Pathiraja

“… unacceptable to file cases against government servants alone as politicians were above them.”

By Saman Indrajith

Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara were acquitted and released yesterday in a case against them for their failure to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, despite having received warnings of the terror strikes.

The verdict was delivered by a three-judge Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar, comprising Namal Balalle, Aditya Patabendige, and Mohamed Irshadeen.

Fernando and Jayasundera had been indicted on 855 charges.

Announcing the order Judge Mohamed Irshadeen said the Attorney General should have thought twice before filing the case against the former Defence Secretary. Judge Aditya Patabendige said the evidence presented before them showed that Fernando had been in a helpless position in making decisions. Patabendige added that former head of the State Intelligence Service, Nilantha Jayawardena had neglected his responsibilities and Fernando’s arrest was questionable. Jayawardena had tried to place the blame for the attack on someone else, the Judge noted.

Judge Patabendige after releasing Jayasundara said that the AG had to be careful when pressing criminal charges against an individual and that the arrest of the two men were highly problematic. It was unacceptable to file cases against government servants alone when politicians were above them, the judge said.

The Court also said that the prosecution had produced a handful of witnesses before the court, when there were over 1,000 witnesses. However, the prosecution still failed to prove the charges against the accused.

Chairman of the Bench, High Court Judge Namal Balalle, thanked the AG’s Department and the staff of the Colombo High Court for assisting to conclude the case within four months

The Attorney General had filed 864 indictments under Sections 296 and 300 of the Penal Code, including attempted murder against the two former officials.

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Cabinet aporives recruitment of Nursing Instructors for Nursing Schools under the Ministry of Health and Mass Media on Contract Basis

Published

4 hours ago

2026/09/1

Priyan

There are 17 nursing schools under the Ministry of Health and Mass Media including the postgraduate primary nursing school.

There are 142 vacancies in the posts of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education) as on 31.03.2026 in those schools while 24 officers are to be promoted to the special grade on 31.12.2025 owing to the vacancies existing in the post of Special
Grade Nursing Officer (Education). Therefore, the number of vacancies is to be 166.

In addition, there are 24 vacancies in the post of Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education).

Although at present action has been taken to upgrade the nursing schools to nursing colleges and upgrade the nursing diploma course to nursing degree course, no action has been taken so far to carry out recruitment for the training relevant to the appointment for the post of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education).

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to recruit retired nursing instructors and nursing instructors who served in the nursing schools belonging to the three armed forces and are retired or have resigned legitimately from service to the post of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education) on contract basis.

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Signing agreement for the establishment of BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility in Sri Lanka

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/1

Priyan

It has been decided to establish a BIMSTEC technology transfer facility in Sri Lanka by entering into a Host Country Agreement at the second leaders’ summit of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) held in New Delhi, India, in 2008, with the objective of enhancing regional cooperation.

The relevant cooperation agreement was signed by the member countries at the 5th BIMSTEC summit on 30-03-2022 in Colombo.
The prime objective of this technology transfer facility is to provide technology, capacity building, and management of intellectual property for the micro, small, and medium-scale
enterprises of the BIMSTEC member countries.

According to the cooperation agreement, an agreement should be entered into between Sri Lanka, as the host country, and BIMSTEC Secretariat for formalizing the legal status, privileges, and immunities of the technology transfer facility.

The drafted agreement has received the relevant institutional approval and legal clearance.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Science and Technology to sign the proposed agreement.

News

The cabinet approves agreement on mutual legal cooperation in criminal matters between the Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Korea

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/1

Priyan

Approval has been granted at the cabinet meeting held on 11-12-2023 to sign an agreement between the Republic of Korea and the Government of Sri Lanka regarding mutual cooperation
in criminal matters.

However, according to the aforementioned approval, the relevant agreement could not be signed between both parties.

Through this agreement, opportunities will be provided
for mutual assistance to other countries in handing over judicial documents and collecting evidence for the use of criminal case matters.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution provided by the Minister of Justice and National Integration to sign an agreement between the Republic of Korea and the Government of Sri Lanka to cooperate in criminal matters.