by Rathindra Kuruwita

The government has received information that an extremist group is operating in Kalmunai, in the Eastern Province, says Cabinet spokesman and Minister Nalinda Jayatissa.Security forces and intelligence agencies are uncovering information on this group, he has said.

“Addressing the Parliament last week President Anura Kumara Dissanayake revealed some information about this group and the security forces are keeping an eye on the activities of this group,” Minister Jayatissa said, adding that the government would not allow any extremism or racism in any part of the country.

Minister Jayatissa said so in response to a question posed by a journalist about a statement made by Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananda Wijepala, who said there was an extremist group operating in Kalmunai, in the Eastern Province.

“At this moment, we have only received information about such a group operating in the Eastern Province. Intelligence and security agencies are in the process of verifying and investigating the matter. The President had also addressed some concerns related to national security during discussions with officials. What we can confirm right now is that the security forces are closely monitoring the situation,” the Minister said.

Addressing the Parliament last week, during the debate on the expenditure for the Defence Ministry, the President said that there were certain groups in the North and East who might stir up trouble and they may be having links to political forces that were afraid of ongoing investigations.

by Saman Indrajith

Opposition MPs, led by SJB leader Sajith Premadasa, yesterday, in Parliament, accused Speaker Jagath Wickremesinghe of preventing the MPs speaking in the House and thereby depriving them of their rights.

The Opposition made that allegation when the Speaker warned that he would be compelled to have MPs Ramanathan Archchuna and Shanakiyan Rasamanickam removed from the House for disrupting the proceedings.

The MPs alleged that extra-judicial killings were taking place in the North and the East just like in other areas of the country.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said the Speaker should not discriminate against the Opposition MPs.

“You give opportunities to other MPs to raise points of order but you don’t give that opportunity to these two MPs,” Premadasa said.

Leader of the House, Transport Minister Bimal Ratnayke, who responded, said there was no discrimination.

“We cannot afford to allow MPs to raise points of order regarding unimportant matters. What will happen if all 224 MPs raise points of order in that manner?

Drug procurement scam:

By A.J.A. Abeynayake

The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed by Saman Ratnayake, a former Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Health.

Ratnayake sought a ruling that his fundamental rights had been violated due to his ‘unlawful’ arrest and remanding in custody by the CID in relation to the substandard human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) procurement case.

The order was issued when the petition was heard before a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justices Gamini Amarasekara, Kumuduni Wickremesinghe, and Sobhitha Rajakaruna.

On March 1, 2024, Saman Ratnayake, the then Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Health, was arrested by the CID in connection with the controversial procurement of substandard IVIG vials.

Before Ratnayake’s arrest, several others had been detained in connection with the drug procurement scam. These included former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, former Health Ministry Secretary Janaka Chandragupta, the Director of the Health Ministry’s Medical Supplies Division (MSD), three other MSD officials, as well as the owner of the company alleged to have imported the batch of substandard immunoglobulin vials using forged documents.

In October 2023, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority revealed that forged documents had been submitted for Customs clearance in order to procure a batch of vials containing human immunoglobulin, an antibody produced by blood plasma cells. These vials later failed quality testing.