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Opp. seeks IMF intervention to rein in corruption

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3 years ago

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Prof. G.L.

‘How come gold smuggling MP remains on Ethics and Privileges Committee’?

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The Opposition would seek the IMF’s commitment to rein in rampant corruption with the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government in spite of the country being declared bankrupt over a year ago, former External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris said yesterday (11).

Addressing the media at the Nawala Office of Nidahasa Janatha Sabhawa, the senior SLPP rebel group member said that the Opposition intended to furnish transcripts of the three-day debate on the No-Confidence-Motion (NCM) against Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella to the IMF delegation. The former minister said that the outcome of the debate had proved beyond any doubt that the government was bent on making a killing at the expense of the public.

The IMF visit is scheduled for this week ahead of their approval of the second tranche of the bailout package.

“We’ll ask the IMF to pressure the government over corruption,” Prof. Peiris said, adding that the international lending agency couldn’t absolve itself of the responsibility against backdrop of its commitment to make available USD 2.9 bn over a period of four years.

The Opposition could muster the support of only 73 lawmakers whereas 113 voted against the NCM. Thirty-eight MPs failed to cast their ballot at the vote held last Friday (08).

The top SLPP spokesperson said that the Opposition would brief the IMF of two other contentious issues to emphasize the failure not only on the part of the government to reign in corruption but how the Parliament encouraged the same.

Prof. Peiris said that there couldn’t be a better example than the favoured treatment received by Muslim National Alliance (MNA) MP Ali Sabry Raheem, arrested at the BIA in March this year, after being caught in a massive smuggling bid, to prove the Parliament as an institution protected such elements.

Regardless of representations made by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and other Opposition MPs, the government parliamentary group and Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena continued to shield the MP, Prof. Perris said.

Customs at the BIA in early March thwarted an attempt made by lawmaker Raheem to smuggle in undeclared gold worth Rs. 74 mn and a large consignment of smartphones valued at Rs. 4.2 mn. The MP walked free within hours after paying a Rs 7.5 mn fine, though in terms of Customs Ordinance, the MP could have been imposed a fine three times the value of confiscated goods, in this particular case gold and smartphones.

Prof. Peiris found fault with Speaker Abeywardena turning a blind eye to the incident that tarnished the image of Parliament at a time the public expected the House to take a tougher stand on corruption. The former internationally distinguished law academic pointed out that the Parliament was in a dilemma as the gold smuggling MP continued to serve the Committee on Ethics and Privileges.

How the Parliament could explain the Ethics and Privileges Committee being asked to examine the conduct of one of its members accused of gold smuggling at a time the government was struggling to increase State revenue, Prof. Peiris asked.

All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) nominated Raheem to contest Puttalam at the last general election in August 2020.  ACMC and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) fielded a group of candidates under the MNA banner.

Prof. Peiris said that they would also brief the IMF delegation regarding a major loophole in recently enacted much touted anti-corruption law that conveniently left out provision to deal with stolen funds now stashed overseas. “When we sought an explanation as to why the new law didn’t deal with the issue at hand, the government assured necessary amendments would be made later. That explanation cannot be accepted,” Prof. Peiris said, alleging that the powers that be were continuing in their cavalier fashion regardless of the further deterioration of the overall situation.

Prof. Peiris said that recently a parliamentary watchdog committee examined how a foreign investor received tax free status for a period of 17 years while those struggling to make ends meet were burdened with further taxes. The government resorted to domestic debt-restructuring regardless of the consequences caused by the inclusion of EPF and ETF in the process, the lawmaker said. But those who invested heavily here under an emergency situation were not touched, the MP said. The IMF should be mindful of the situation, the former minister said, urging all stakeholders to reexamine the situation here.


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Ranawaka accuses govt. of using JVP cadres and police to suppress political opponents

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11 hours ago

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2026/10/20

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… reminds AKD led over 560 protests during Yahapalanaya

Former Yahapalana Minister and United Republican Front (URF) leader Patali Champika Ranawaka yesterday (19) alleged that the JVP, which carried out over 560 protests during the 2015-2019 period, was now bent on preventing the Opposition from exercising its democratic right to protest.

Recalling the declaration made by the JVP at the height of the violent protest campaign in July 2022 that it would set the Parliament ablaze, the former parliamentarian lashed out at the JVP-led administration for using the police excessively to curb political opposition. Ranawaka said this while addressing the media at the former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Flower Road Office .

Commenting on the protest campaign launched by the Maha Sangha, demanding presidential pardon for General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Ven. Galagotaatte Gnanasara, the ex-Colombo District lawmaker alleged that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake used a combination of police, investigative units and JVP cadres to break up the monks’ protest. The government went to the extent of compelling the JVP/NPP-run Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) to deprive the peaceful protesters of basic toilet facilities, he alleged.

The government’s actions proved that only those with prior approval from JVP Pelawatte headquarters could launch protests in Colombo, its suburbs or in the provinces. The police have become a political tool in the hands of the JVP, the ex-Minister said. (SF)

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Six killed as speeding bulker crashes into vehicles, shop in Akurana

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11 hours ago

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2026/10/20

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By SK Samaranayake

Six people were killed and seven others injured when a speeding bulker lorry carrying cement and concrete ploughed into several vehicles and a shop on the Kandy-Jaffna A9 road at Kurugoda, Akurana, yesterday (19).

Four of the victims, two women and two men, died on the spot in the accident which occurred around 10.30 am, according to Alawathugoda Police.

Police said the bulker, travelling at high speed from the Matale direction, collided with three three-wheelers, two motorcycles and two lorries before veering off the road and crashing into a commercial establishment.

Five of the injured were rushed to the National Hospital of Kandy, where hospital sources said two remained in critical condition.

The bodies of the four victims were placed at the Akurana Hospital, where two others, who suffered minor injuries, were also receiving treatment.

The driver of the bulker was arrested by the Alawathugoda Police Traffic Division and is to be produced before court.

Investigations are being conducted under the supervision of Central Province Senior DIG Lalith Pathinayake.

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Prof. Peiris, summoned by CIABOC, appeals for Ven. Gnanasara’s release

Published

11 hours ago

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2026/10/20

By

G.L. Peiris

By Shamindra Ferdinando

owledging that there had been an administrative lapse on the part of the President’s Office in 2019 when Maithripala Sirisena granted presidential pardon to Ven. Gnanasara Thera, Convener of Janathawadi Joint Opposition Prof. G.L. Peiris yesterday (19) urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to rectify whatever those shortcomings and release the General Secretary of Bodu Bala Sena.

Addressing the media at the former President Ranil Wickrekmesinghe’s Flower Road Office, Prof. Peiris emphasized that it was not fair to hold Ven. Gnanasara accountable for lapse or technical fault of others at the Presidential Secretariat during President Sirisena’s tenure.

Prof. Peiris was flanked by UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena and United Republican Front (URF) leader Patali Champika Ranawaka.

The fresh appeal was made on behalf of Ven. Gnanasara in the wake of President Dissanayake and JVP heavyweight Anura Kumara Dissanayake ruling out fresh presidential pardon for the monk. Minister Lal Kantha declared that the government couldn’t under any circumstances meet the continuing monks’ protest demanding Ven. Gnanasara’s release. President Dissanayake dismissed repeated appeals for Ven. Gnanasara’s release when he addressed the NPP really in Badulla.

Sirisena granted presidential pardon in May 2019 even before he completed a year of his six-year term of rigorous imprisonment for contempt of court during proceedings of the media personality Prageeth Ekneligoda’s 2010 January disappearance in the Homagama Magistrate’s court.

At the onset of the regular weekly briefing, Prof. Peiris said that he would report to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) today (20) morning as requested by the commission. “The CIABOC wanted to record my statement regarding a meeting I chaired at the ministry after the conclusion of the war in 2009 pertaining to an ongoing investigation.”

Commenting further on the imprisonment of Ven. Gnanasara, the former parliamentarian said that President Sirisena intervened following a spate of requests made on behalf of BBS General Secretary by the Mahanayakes, Anunayakes and other Maha Sangha.

The Supreme Court on 10 September, 2026 rescinded the presidential pardon granted in late May 2019.

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