News
Killers of political party leader, four others in Beliatte still at large
By Norman Palihawadane and Hemantha Randunu
Five persons, including the General Secretary of the Ape Janabala Party, were killed by a group of unidentified gunmen near the Beliatta interchange of the Southern Expressway yesterday morning.
No arrests had been made at the time of going to press. The police said several teams of investigators had been deployed to arrest the gunmen, who were at large.
An investigator told The Island that the attack had been meticulously planned.
The victims were identified as General Secretary of the AJP, Saman Prasanna Perera of Rathgalgoda Watta, Hasitha Ranasinghe of Pahala Gangabada, Sameera Madhushanka of Polwatte-Warahena, Buddhika Rajapakshe of Gattuawana, Kurunegala, and Champriya Jayatilaka of Dematagoda, police said.
The victims had been on their way to appear before the Tangalle High Court when the vehicle they were travelling in came under fire around 8 am, police said.
Four of the victims died on the spot while the other was declared dead upon admission to the Tangalle Base hospital.
The assailants had used T-56 assault rifles, police said, adding that they had information that yesterday’s shooting was in revenge for the killing of three persons at Kudawella, in Tangalle, a few months ago.
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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