News
Local employee Garnier indicted for fabricating evidence
Swiss fake drama
The Attorney General had yesterday (22) filed an indictment in the Colombo High Court against Swiss Embassy Staffer Garnier Bannister Francis (nee Siriyalatha Perera) on charges of fabricating false evidence of abduction by the CID officers, the AG’s Coordinating Officer State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne told The Island yesterday.
High profile accusations were made close on the heels of the last presidential election in the third week of Nov 2019. The Swiss government took up the alleged abduction with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa while immense pressure was brought on the government to allow the evacuation of the local employee and her family by an air ambulance already kept standby at the BIA.
President Gotabaya Rajapakasa refused permission for the operation. Investigations revealed that the alleged incident never took place.
The Swiss complained of alleged abduction immediately after accommodating controversial Inspector Nishantha Silva of the CID as a refugee there, He is now wanted by the Presidential Commission inquiring into ‘Political Victimization’ to look into alleged misdeeds committed by him, including framing people who stood against the previous government. (SF)
News
Import and Export (Control) Regulations No. 08 of 2026
The Ministry of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development has recommended the establishment of Sri Lankan Standards, i.e. the import testing methodology for imported tires used for passenger cars and pneumatic tires for three-wheelers with the aim of ensuring a fair competitive environment for local
manufactures and ensuring consumer safety and security.
Taking into the said recommendations, “Import and Export (control regulations N0.08 of the 2026)” has been enacted to amend the existing regulations by means of the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2508/27 dated 2026-10-01, prescribing Sri Lanka standard 1212 for the import of passenger types (HS Code 4011.10.90) and Sri Lanka standard 1347 for the import of
pneumatic tires for three – wheeled vehicles (HS Code 4011.90.10).
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development to submit the aforementioned regulations to Parliament for approval.
News
Draft Bill of the Public Private Partnership Enterprises Act to be gazzetted
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 02.06.2025 to introduce a new act to promote and providing legal provisions for facilitating the Public Private Joint Enterprises within Sri Lanka as well as the establishment of the National Agency for Public Private Partnership Joint Enterprises.
Accordingly, the Legal Draftsman has formulated the relevant draft bill and the Attorney General has given his clearance to the said draft bill.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to publish the said
draft bill in the government gazette notification and thereby submit it to the Parliament for its concurrence.
News
Amendment of the Ayurvedha Act No. 31 of 1961
Regulation, development and control of indigenous medical sector in Sri Lanka comprised of Ayurvedha, Sidhdha, Unani, Local Therapies are carried out under the provisions of Ayurvedha Act No. 31 of 1961.
Although amendments were made to the act from time to time as per the requirements, the necessity of further amending the Ayurvedha Act has been identified to enable efficiently maintaining all activities of local medical field productively, further formalizing the regulation of the sector, taking actions to providing licenses applicable to export of local medicines, and achieving the progress and sustainable development goals in the local medical sector.
Based on the said factors, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to direct the Legal Draftsman to formulate a draft bill to amend the Ayurvedha Act No. 31 of 1961.
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