Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath represented Sri Lanka at the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday [26]

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe will appear before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) tomorrow (28) over the statement he had made on MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake, his lawyers have informed the Commission.

Accordingly, the former President will appear before the commission at 9.30am on Monday.

Wickremesinghe was initially summoned by the Commission to CIABOC on April 17 in relation to a statement he had made about the corruption case filed against NDF (gas cylinder) MP Dassanayake.

In response to the previous summons, Wickremesinghe had indicated that he is prepared to appear before the commission but requested a different date citing that his lawyers will not be available in Colombo during the New Year holiday period.

Accordingly, a new was provided and Wickremesinghe requested to appear before the commission at 09.30 a.m. on Thursday (April 25).On April 7, Wickremesinghe had said that MP Dassanayake withdrew the fixed deposits belonging to the Uva Provincial Council, over which he is now facing corruption charges, in accordance with a circular issued during Wickremesingher’s tenure as Prime Minister.

The former President questioned whether the MP’s arrest over the matter was in response to Dassanayake’s vocal criticism of the government in parliament.

The sitting MP is currently in remand custody for allegedly misappropriating a sum of Rs. 1 million of the Uva Provincial Council in 2016.

He was taken into custody on March 27, over three separate corruption-related cases.

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court previously granted bail in the cases filed against him but he remains in remand custody due to an order issued by the Badulla Magistrate’s Court.

According to the CIABOC, Dassanayake had solicited funds from three state banks, claiming they were intended to provide bags for preschool children in the province.

Two banks complied, granting him Rs. 1 million and Rs. 2.5 million, which were later transferred to his foundation account.

However, when a third bank refused to provide funds, Dassanayake reportedly retaliated by withdrawing the Uva Provincial Council’s fixed deposits from that institution.The CIABOC filed a case against the MP, citing the government incurred a financial loss of Rs. 17.3 million due to his actions.

Sujith Weerasinghe, the North West London Regional Relationship Manager for Specsavers, has founded a new charity dedicated to supporting children and families affected by the tragic Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka in 2019.

The devastating attacks, which targeted churches and hotels in Colombo, claimed 167 lives of Catholices at Easter worship in three churches, left many children orphaned or severely injured. Three luxury hotels too were bombed and 45 foreigners killed.

In response to the tragedy, Weerasinghe, who is a practicing Buddhist, reached out to Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, to explore the creation of a scholarship program. His vision was to offer a lifeline to those who had lost everything, providing opportunities for education and skill development to help rebuild their futures.

Speaking to the Sunday Island, Weerasinghe shared, “We genuinely want to support our people. These beautiful children have endured unimaginable pain, and the least we can do is help them access education and bring some light into their lives. Hearing their stories has been heartbreaking but also inspiring, as their strength and resilience shine through.”

He added, “Our goal was to create a programme that offers long-term support, helping children and families gain the education they need to move forward. The funds raised will provide monthly scholarships to those most in need, giving them the tools to earn a living and improve their futures.”

In October 2024, Weerasinghe travelled to Colombo to meet with Cardinal Ranjith and Reverend Father Fernando to discuss how the funds could be most effectively distributed. The result was the formation of Pathway to My Hope, a charity rooted in the same values held by Specsavers, promoting education and professional development.

The fundraising efforts began shortly after the bombings in 2019. Weerasinghe, alongside colleagues David Brett-Williams (ophthalmic director at Specsavers Luton), Pragna Raghwani (regional chair for Hertfordshire), and Ali Hashim (vice-chair), led a two-week campaign across participating stores. Each store donated £1 for every sight test conducted, ultimately raising £13,843 for the cause.

“We were amazed at how quickly the initiative came together,” said Weerasinghe. “Thanks to the incredible support from David, Pragna, Ali, and all our store partners, we were able to make a real impact in a short amount of time. It was heartening to see the Specsavers community come together for such an important cause.”

The Pathway to My Hope Scholarship Programme will officially launch on May 1, 2025.

Charity trustees Sujith Weerasinghe, Dilmith Weerasinghe, and David Brett-Williams expressed their excitement as the long-anticipated initiative prepares to begin, bringing tangible hope and support to the children and families still recovering from the events of Easter Sunday 2019.

(By Sujeeva Nivunhella reporting from London)