News

SLFP: PCoI has exceeded its mandate and failed to address critical issues

Published

5 years ago

2021/02/27

By Rathindra Kuruwita

President Maithripala Sirisena appointed the PCoI on Easter Sunday Attacks to identify local and international forces behind the attacks, establish the motives of those groups and to punish those who were directly and indirectly responsible for the attacks, but those issues had not been addressed by the PCoI’s final report, the SLFP said yesterday.

SLFP General Secretary, Dayasiri Jayasekera said that the party’s Executive Committee had discussed the report in depth on Thursday and decided that the Commission had not addressed the issues it had been appointed to probe.

On the other hand, some of its recommendations have gone beyond its mandate.

Issuing a press release, the SLFP said that while the PCoI observed that former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had been soft on Islamic extremism and his government had not taken active steps in combating extremism, however, the PCoI had treated Wickremesinghe with kid gloves while taking a tough stance on former President Maithripala Sirisena.

“The former President took over the Ministry of Law and Order on 30 October 2018, i.e. only five months and twenty days before the attacks. None of those who held the post before have been accused of anything. The report also focuses little on those who planned the attacks, those who financed the attacks and those who protected the attackers. Moreover, although there is evidence to prove that the weapons found in Muslim mosques after the attacks had been brought in by ships; the report had not investigated it in-depth,” the SLFP said.

The party also said Pulastini Rajendran alias Sara Jasmine, the wife of Mohommadu Hastun, a suicide bomber, had fled to India sometime after the attacks. However, the Commission had not only paid any attention to it but also had ignored what could have been found.

“The mandate set by President Sirisena says to look at current or former state officials who are directly or indirectly linked to these incidents. There is no mandate for the Commission to look into whether the head of the state or ministers have fulfilled their constitutional duties. Thus, the recommendations on the former President are beyond the PCoI’s mandate. The pages 292 and 293 of the report state that President Sirisena had instructed the Police to arrest NTJ leader Zahran Hashim at the National Security Council. However, they also insist that the former President had not carried out its duties and responsibilities. Page 296 says that the former President not appointing an acting Defence Minister when he left for India and Singapore was a violation of the Constitution. However, in another place the Commissioners say that making such appointments is at the President’s discretion,” the SLFP said in a press release.

The SLFP also states that the former President had carried out his duties and the report has ample evidence of it. Thus, there is no way that criminal proceedings can be instituted against him.

“The concept that criminal proceedings can be instituted against a President for not carrying out some duty sets a bad precedent and is a slight to the power given to the President by the Constitution. The US and New Zealand security agencies had received information about 9/11 and the Christchurch shootings but the heads of the states were not charged. We vehemently refuse the allegations against the former President and reject many of the other recommendations too.”

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President and Exco of Sri Lanka Cricket step down

Published

3 hours ago

2026/04/29

Priyan

Sri Lanka Cricket has announced today (29) that the President of Sri Lanka Cricket and members of the Executive Committee have tendered their resignations.

The decision has been formaly communicated to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports.

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Heat Index at Caution Level in the Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Kegalle, Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts during the day time

Published

10 hours ago

2026/04/29

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 28 April 2026, valid for 29 April 2026.

The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Kegalle,
Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts during the day time.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

News

Treasury chief’s citizenship details sought from Australia

Published

11 hours ago

2026/04/29

Sahan Weerasooriya

Nagananda / Harshana

New controversy erupts over missing USD 2.5 mn:

Public interest activist Nagananda Kodituwakku has sought citizenship details of Finance Ministry Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma from the Department of Home Affairs, Australia.

According to a letter dated 28 April, addressed to the relevant department, Solicitor England and Wales Kodituwakku sought the required information in terms of Section 15 of the Freedom of Information Act No 3 of 1982 of Australia. Suriyapperuma is also the Secretary to the Treasury.

The former Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Suriyapperuma (from November 2024 to June 2025) is embroiled in a deepening controversy over the theft of USD 2.5 mn from the Treasury.

The leader of the Vinivida Foundation said that he intended to move court against Suriyapperuma for entering Parliament through the NPP National List in violation of the country’s Constitution (Article 91(1)(d)(xiiii).

Kodituwakku said: “This is clearly an accountability and integrity issue and violation of the Constitution of Sri Lanka and also this act contravenes the law of a member in the Commonwealth.”

USD 2.5 mn paid to a third party was meant to be an instalment of a loan taken from Australia. Suriyapperuma neither responded to an SMS nor answered his hand phone.

Geetha Kumarasinghe (UPFA/Galle District) and Diana Gamage (SJB National List) lost their seats in 2017 and 2024, respectively, over citizenship issues.

Meanwhile, public interest group ‘Free Lawyers’ that exposed the theft of Treasury funds questioned the failure on the part of Dr. Harsha de Silva, Chairman of Committee on Public Finance (CoPF), to pressure President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to temporarily remove Suriyapperuma to facilitate unhindered investigations.

On behalf of ‘Free Lawyers’, Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon yesterday expressed concern over the way the CoPF, under SJBer de Silva’s leadership, handled the issue at hand. Issuing an open letter, Tennakoon, urged the CoPF chief to explain his stand on a spate of vital issues which needed to be addressed without any further delay.

By Shamindra Ferdinando