News

Bid to buy USD 2.5 mn ship: Former SLN officer, others under probe

Published

4 years ago

2021/12/30

By Chaminda Silva

Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (retd.) Sarath Weerasekera has directed the IGP to investigate an incident where a retired Navy officer, some businessman and several lawyers sought to acquire a foreign ship worth USD 2.5 million by claiming that they had the blessings of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The persons involved in the fraud were assisted by international ship racketeers, Minister Weerasekera has said in a letter to the IGP.

They have used the letterhead of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Department and forged the signature of the Department head, and the forged document has been submitted to the Colombo Commercial High Court, where a case is being heard following a complaint by Seamax Ceylon Pvt., Ltd., which owns the ship in question, Astan-2.

The ship arrived here in May 2019 and was registered under the Sri Lankan flag in February, 2020. It has since been anchored off Mutwal.

The Minister has asked the IGP to provide him with a detailed report after carrying out a thorough probe.

The Colombo Crime Division has reported to the Colombo Commercial High Court that the Director General of the Fisheries and Aquatic Department confirmed that his signature had been forged by the suspects.

All News Advertisement

News

M/s South Asian Technologies awarded contract to supply vehicle number plates

Published

11 hours ago

2026/01/6

Priyan

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to award the contract for printing and supplying vehicle number plates for the Department of Motor Traffic for a period of five (5) years to M/s South Asian Technologies based on the recommendations of the High-Level Standing Procurement Committee and the Procurement Appeal Board.

News

A new act for National Lotteries Board to be introduced

Published

12 hours ago

2026/01/6

Priyan

The National Lotteries board has been established subject to the Finance Act No. 11 of 1963. Having identified the requirement of amending that act which was imposed around 62 years to cater the current requirements of the lottery market, the Cabinet of Mnisters at their meeting held on 14.02.2017 granted approval to draft a new bill for the purpose.

Accordingly, the National Lotteries Board has recognized further amendments to be performed to the fundamental draft bill prepared by the Legal Draftsmen.

Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the
resolution furnished by the President in his office as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to direct the Legal Draftsmen to finalize the formulation of the draft bill for the National Lotteries Board as soon as possible including the proposed new amendments as well.

News

Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 to be amended

Published

12 hours ago

2026/01/6

Priyan

The Werahara office of the Department of Motor Traffic performs issuance of temporary driving licenses in this country based on the driving licenses issued overseas, and measures have been initiated to render the service from a service window of the Department of Motor Traffic established at the Bandaranayake International Airport from 03.08.2025.

The fees charged for issuing temporary driving licenses have been published in Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 prepared under the provisions of the Motor Traffic (Authority 203) Act.

But, as the fee of Rupees 2,000/- charged for the service is not sufficient, the requirement of amending the regulations has been recognized.

The regulations for introducing the revised fees have been published in the government extraordinary gazette
notification No. 2463/04 dated 17.11.2025. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to
submit the regulations to the Parliament for its concurrence.