News

JVP: Has govt. done anything to have Mahendran brought here?

Published

6 years ago

2020/09/10

By Saman Indrajith

The Central Bank annual did not reflect the economic realities prevailing in the country, where many suffered and could not make ends meet, while the government boasted of improvement and development, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament on Tuesday (8).

Participating in a debate on the Central Bank 2019 report at the time of adjournment of the House, MP Dissanayake said: “The Central Bank report would show you plusses and minuses. Although it contains a rosy picture of a country that is on the path of development, the prevailing reality is otherwise. There are many schools in the country without basic facilities. There are thousands of farmers unable to have proper prices for their produce and unable to find fertilizer required for their crops. There are many fishers with sighs of frustration at the end of the day because they cannot get a decent price for their catch which is taken away from them by the middlemen in the fishing industry.

“The Central Bank bond scam was one of the main issues that had been in discussion in this country. What action has this government done to get former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran who is responsible for the scam, brought here? He is there in Singapore. His name has been changed but the person is the same.

“We know the place of a person in a court after he has been sentenced to death. He is not even kept in the normal cells. He should be in death row cells. They are given a different dress in the prison. But now we have a person who has been sentenced to death among us. This impunity is not a joke. It is not a simple matter when a government plays with the laws of the land. A person who is convicted and given death sentence could commit any other offence because he has already been given the capital punishment and nothing more could be given to him.

State Minister Sisira Jayakody: When an accused has filed a case before the Court of Appeal he is only a suspect. He has the right to be considered innocent till the judgment comes.

MP Dissanayake: Just because you shout loud that does not rectify the error. What would be the situation of this country when a death row convict participates in law making process? How would the government justify such an immoral act?

Speaking of the Central Bank report, I would like to ask from the government what action they had taken on the contents of the Central Bank reports from 2007 to 2012?

Chief Government Whip Minister Johnston Fernando: Why do you not speak of the Central Bank reports of the time when the yahapalana government was there?

MP Dissanayake: If I have the powers to punish fraudsters and cheats, many of those in this House today will be in jails. If I had such powers, I do not think there would be a Johnston Fernando in this Chamber today to point fingers at me. If I had such powers, there would be none of those who involved in the central bank bond scam roaming free. Just because you wear white, you are not clean. If you want I can take each of you one by one and list the offences you had committed to misappropriate public funds.

Government rank MPs shouted and demanded MP Dissanayake to speak of the JVP led 1989-90 insurgency and damage inflicted by the JVP members on national assets.

MP Dissanayake: It has been estimated that the loss caused by investing EPF monies during 2007-2012 period was more than 11 billion rupees. Would the government speak of that too?

State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal raising a point of order: It is the JVP that inflicted heaviest economic loss to this country.

The Chair said that it was not a point of order.

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News

Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

20 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

20 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

20 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.