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Church defends media freedom, seeks inquiry into Dappula’s claim of Easter Sunday international conspiracy

Published

5 years ago

2021/07/10

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Former Catholic Church spokesman Rev. Cyril Gamini Fernando says that ongoing government efforts to rein in the media, including social media platforms is actually a sign of weakness.

Rev. Fernando insists the incumbent administration cannot suppress the truth by muzzling the media as no government ever succeeded in doing so.

Rev. Fernando, currently the parish priest of St. Anne’s Church, Kurana, told The Island that the government could easily silence what it considered hostile media by changing its strategies.

Responding to another query, Rev. Fernando emphasized that the government should reexamine post-2019 presidential election vis-a-vis the promises made by the then Joint Opposition (JO) in the run-up to the change of government.

Unfortunately, the incumbent dispensation had resorted to strong arm tactics in addition to threats and intimidation of sections of the media considered hostile to the government, Rev. Fernando said.

The top Church spokesperson said that the recent disclosure in Parliament of an alleged attempt to silence Sirasa TV underscored the need to be vigilant. Recalling the suppression of the media by successive governments since the 80s, Rev. Fernando stressed that no one could achieve that despicable objective.

Regardless of the State resorting to terror tactics and various other underhand methods, the entire media couldn’t be controlled or influenced to follow the agenda desired by those in power. The SLPP government appeared to have wrongly recognized the media as an emerging threat and taken measures to neutralize that challenge, Rev Fernando said.

Asked whether the Church would take up these contentious issues with the government, Rev. Fernando said that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and Archbishop of Colombo Rt. Rev. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith regularly commented on public interest issues so much so in the wake of the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage some accused the Church of backing the then Opposition.

“The then Opposition is in power today. It enjoys a near two-thirds majority in Parliament having backed Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the presidential election. But, today, we are struggling to convince them of the need to bring the perpetrators of the Easter Sunday carnage before a court of law,” Rev. Fernando said. The priest said that the Attorney General’s Office and the police owed an explanation over the latter’s failure to question former Attorney General Dappula de Livera, PC, regarding a controversial statement he made several days before his retirement in late May 2021.

Rev. Fernando asked how could the government ignore de Livera’s declaration that there is clear evidence of a grand conspiracy linked to Sri Lanka’s 2019 Easter bombings. De Livera has said that information that the state intelligence service (SIS) had, “with times, targets, places, method of attack and other information is clear evidence there was a grand conspiracy in place with regard to the April 21 2019 attack.”

Rev Fernando emphasized that investigations couldn’t have been completed without the CID recording the former AG’s statement. Pointing out that De Livera made the declaration on May 18 about a week before his retirement, the police were yet to question one-time outspoken official, who fearlessly led the grilling of those involved in the Bond Scams before the special Presidential Commission of Inquiry that probed the daring heist involving some of the highest individuals in the yahapalana government and others.

The Church official alleged that the government conveniently forgot the Presidential Commission report on the Easter Sunday carnage. “What have they done with it? In spite of big talk, the government didn’t implement the PCoI recommendations. In fact, we are wondering why the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) and the PCoI were appointed at all,” Rev Fernando said, alleging that those in authority apparently perpetrated a massive fraud on the people.

Having examined the proceedings of the PSC, the PCoI as well as speeches made in Parliament, Rev. Fernando said that he couldn’t comprehend how the government continued to suppress the truth. Rev. Fernando said that one didn’t need the skills of a Sherlock Holmes to realise that those who carried out the actual bombings weren’t the masterminds of the dastardly crime.

Rev Fernando said that those trying to suppress the truth would find fault with the Church and the independent media for raising concerns. The Church believed the government couldn’t absolve itself of the responsibility for ensuring justice.

The priest urged the media to courageously report what was going on. Acknowledging the role played by the social media, Rev Fernando said that those in Parliament shouldn’t be blind to the reality. The recent controversy over the increase in fuel prices resulted in the disclosure of the pathetic state of the national economy, Rev Fernando said. The admission that two key state enterprises, the CPC and the CEB, owed a staggering Rs 737 bn to state banks and may cause the collapse of the banking sector was shocking, the priest said.

Referring to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s declaration that the country had to meet annual loan repayment obligations amounting to USD 4 bn should be examined against the backdrop of allegations pertaining to waste, corruption, irregularities and negligence, the priest said.

Rev Fernando also strongly criticized the deployment of police to breakup legitimate protests against the government. The move to exploit recent instructions relating to the Covid-19 prevention health guidelines to suppress those opposed to government projects should be condemned, Rev Fernando said, citing the police intervention to break up a peaceful protest against the Kotelawela Defence University Bill as a case in point.

Having captured power with a huge mandate, the SLPP government was doing everything on its own to antagonize the public, Rev Fernando said. The hasty decision to ban chemical fertiliser without making proper arrangements to introduce organic fertiliser, destruction of X-Press Pearl in Sri Lankan waters, financial crisis and general breakdown of law and order leading to decline in public confidence should be matters for serious concern, the Church spokesman said.

Rev. Fernando said that the failure on the part of the government to ensure a transparent vaccination programme was also a serious issue. The reportage of the Covid-19 control ‘operations’ and the vaccination programme were mired in controversy, the priest said, urging the government to take tangible measures to address the concerns of the public.

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President proposes; Speaker disposes

Published

11 hours ago

2026/01/12

Thilina Walpola

Dr. Wickramaratne

AKD’s request to Harsha:

Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne has frustrated an attempt by Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) Dr. Harsha de Silva, MP, to intervene to settle the continuing dispute over the appointment of a new Auditor General.

Dr. De Silva yesterday told The Island he had recently written to all members of the Constitutional Council (CC) drawing their attention to the urgent need to address the issue at hand. The AG’s position remains vacant since 08 Dec, 2025. AG W.P.C. Wickremanayake retired in April and since then there have been a couple of Acting appointments. The CC has declined to endorse any of President Dissanayake’s nominees as the AG.

Asked whether he had taken up the issue with the CC following President Anura Kumara Dissanayake soliciting his support in this regard, MP de Silva said that he had written to CC members as agreed with the President.

The former UNPer and one-time State Minister said: “I did so, giving due respect to CC’s independence, underscoring the critical importance in them working with the President to resolve the crisis. I alluded to the need to have transparency in public financial management during this post-cyclone period where large amounts of funds are being transacted on multiple fronts, both domestic and foreign.”

Responding to another query, Dr. De Silva emphasised that he had clarified that the President must send the names of qualified and experienced persons to the CC for consideration. “However, these letters were returned to me by the Speaker, without being delivered to members of the CC. The Speaker didn’t give an explanation. Thus, except for members who are MPs who had been copied via email by my committee office, others never received my letter of concern. Even though I questioned, in Parliament, the basis of his refusal to forward my communication to the members of the CC of which he is Chairman, no answer was given.”

The CC consists of Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, Speaker and Chairman of the 10-member body. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister, Sajith Premadasa, Leader of the Opposition, Bimal Rathnayake, Aboobucker Athambawa, Ajith P. Perera, Sivagnanam Shritharan, and three civil society members namely Dr. Prathap Ramanujam, Dr. Dilkushi Anula Wijesundere and Dr. Dinesha Samararatne. None of the President’s nominees could obtain CC’s approval as all of them were rejected by the CC.

The present CC was introduced by the 21st Amendment to the Constitution which was endorsed on 31 October 2022.

Both the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and the Transparency International Sri Lanka Chapter recently requested President Dissanayake, in writing, to propose a suitable person to the post of AG. The BASL, in another statement that dealt with the forthcoming vacancies in the CC due to three civil society members completing their terms, declared its concern over possible attempts by the President and the NPP government to fill the vacancies with rubber stamps.

The three civil society members will complete their terms on 18 January. In terms of Article 41E of the Constitution, the CC meets at least twice every month, and may meet as often as may be necessary. The Chairman presides at all meetings of the CC and in the absence of the Chairman, the Prime Minister, and in the absence of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition presides at the meetings of the CC.

Asked whether the CC could be disrupted due to the end of civil society members’ terms, an authoritative official pointed out that in case new appointments were not made the current members could continue.

The Parliament has not so far called for applications to fill the forthcoming vacancies.

by Shamindra Ferdinando ✍️

News

Sri Lanka loses Rs.7.5 bn due to coal tender irregularities: FSP

Published

11 hours ago

2026/01/12

Thilina Walpola

Pubudu

The NPP government’s coal procurement process has once again come under scrutiny following allegations by the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) that substandard coal has been imported for power generation and that tender procedures were manipulated to favour a specific supplier.

Addressing the media after a party meeting in Maharagama on Saturday, FSP Education Secretary Pubudu Jagoda said a test report issued by the government laboratory at the Lakvijaya Power Plant had confirmed that the latest coal shipment unloaded in Sri Lanka did not meet the required quality standards. According to the report, the coal’s calorific value ranged between 5,600 and 5,800 kilocalories per kilo, below the 5,900–6,200 kCal/kg range specified in tender requirements.

Jagoda warned that lower calorific value coal would require higher volumes to generate the same amount of electricity, increasing costs significantly. Preliminary estimates, he said, indicated an additional financial burden of around Rs. 7,500 million, which might eventually be passed on to consumers through higher electricity tariffs.

The FSP also accused the government of tailoring procurement rules to benefit the Indian supplier, which has deposited bonds for long-term coal supply for the upcoming season. Jagoda alleged that tender conditions had been altered to accommodate the company, pointing to changes in coal reserve requirements. Under the 2021 Sri Lanka Coal Registration Document, suppliers were required to maintain a minimum reserve of one million metric tonnes with a gross calorific value of 5,900 kCal/kg. This threshold, he said, had been reduced to 100,000 metric tonnes in the 2025 document which is a 90% reduction raising serious concerns.

He further cited past allegations against the Indian company, including findings in a 2016 Auditor General’s report that the company violated procurement guidelines regarding a rice supply contract with Sathosa in 2014. Jagoda also referred to legal issues involving individuals linked to the company, and the suspension of a representative by the International Cricket Council in 2019 over match-fixing allegations.

Beyond company-specific concerns, Jagoda criticised what he described as systemic manipulation of the coal tender process. He questioned why the coal tender, typically called in February or March, was delayed until July, despite electricity being declared an essential service. He also alleged that the tender submission period had been progressively shortened from the internationally accepted six weeks to five weeks, and now reportedly to three giving an unfair advantage to suppliers with existing stock.

The Ministry of Energy has recently issued an amended tender to procure 4.5 million metric tonnes of coal for the Lanka Coal Company for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 periods, following the cancellation of an earlier tender.

Jagoda warned that delays and irregularities could lead to coal shortages, higher spot market purchases, increased electricity costs, and even power cuts if hydropower generation falls short. He called for urgent investigations into the procurement process, insisting that the burden of alleged mismanagement and corruption must not be transferred to the public.

by Chaminda Silva ✍️

News

CID summons SJB MP for criticising education reforms

Published

11 hours ago

2026/01/12

Thilina Walpola

Prasad

SJB Gampaha District MP Prasad Siriwardhana has been summoned to the CID today (12) for questioning in connection with a statement he made on a private television channel regarding education reforms.

He was earlier asked to report to the CID on 10 January to make a statement. However, as Siriwardhana had notified the authorities that he was unable to appear on that day, he was subsequently asked to come today.

Siriwardhana is one of the critics of the shortcomings of the education reforms introduced by the NPP government.