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Corruption: Ex-top House official alleges negligence of successive Speakers
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Civil society activist and former Parliament Director Administration Lacille de Silva says that the Speaker should be held responsible for the continuing failure to initiate action in respect of reports submitted to the House.
The outspoken ex-official said so when The Island asked him whether he backed lawmaker Prof. Charitha Herath’s push for the empowerment of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) to directly seek the intervention of the Attorney General. SLPP National List MP Herath recently alleged that his effort, in his former capacity as Chairman, the COPE, hasn’t found favour with the Parliament.
De Silva said that actually the Speaker could forward any report to the Attorney General or any other investigating authority, including the Committee to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
Responding to another query, De Silva emphasised that the Speaker was not bound by Standing Orders 119, 120 and 121 as regards the Committee on Public Accounts, Committee on Public Enterprises and Committee on Public Finance, respectively.
Lacille de Silva served as Director Administration from 2003 to 2013. The Speaker didn’t answer his hand phone. His staff promised to arrange the Speaker to call The Island though it didn’t materialize at the time we went to press.
The former official said that incumbent Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and his predecessors owed an explanation as to why disclosures made by watchdog committees hadn’t been sent to the Attorney General, CIABOC et al.
Emphasising the primary responsibilities of the Parliament as public finance and enactment of laws, De Silva said that the recent declaration by the UN Human Rights Commissioner that economic crimes had been perpetrated in Sri Lanka should be examined by the Parliament. The UN has called for punitive action against those responsible.
De Silva said that though Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC, in his address to the ongoing 51 session of the Geneva-based UNHRC challenged the body for taking up an internal issue of the country, the Parliament couldn’t absolve itself of the responsibility for the current debt crisis.
The ex-official said that there had been only a few instances of the parliamentary reports being used against corruption. De Silva cited the Supreme Court ruling in respect of the acquisition of Lanka Marine Services by John Keells as a glaring case in point.
The historic judgment was delivered on July 21, 2008. De Silva said that the Supreme Court annulled that particular transaction and should have influenced the Parliament to use findings made by the watchdogs to fight corruption.
The ex-House administration head compared the responsibilities of the judiciary and the Speaker. Emphasizing he wasn’t targeting any individual, De Siva alleged that the Parliament still seemed to be on the same agenda even after the government accepted Sri Lanka’s bankrupt status.
The public protest campaign that forced Gotabaya Rajapaksa to give up executive office in July and continuing public agitation should prompt the Parliament at least now to take control of public finance. But, extremely serious allegations, directed at the Parliament by former COPE Chief Prof. Herath, meant that at least a section of lawmakers didn’t have faith in the parliamentary system. De Silva said that if the incumbent Speaker felt that Prof. Herath’s accusations were unjustifiable, the lawmaker should be appropriately dealt with.
Had successive Speakers exercised the powers without serving the interests of their respective parties, Sri Lanka wouldn’t have ended up bankrupt, De Silva said. Perhaps the Parliament should categorize reports received over the years and take tangible measures to have those on waste, corruption, irregularities and mismanagement examined, the ex-official said.
De Silva said that whatever party exercised executive powers, the legislature always managed to cover up corruption. Could any of the Speakers, since the enactment of the 1978 Constitution, explain why action hadn’t been taken in respect of findings made by the parliamentary watchdog committees, he asked.
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Landslide RED warnings issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions of Ududumbara, Nildadndahinna and Walapane
The landslide early warning center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued RED warnings to the districts of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya for the next 24 hours effective from 0900 hrs today [09th January].
Accordingly,
LEVEL III RED landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Ududumbara in the Kandy district, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya district.
LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Wilgamuwa in the Matale district, and Mathurata and Hanguranketha in the Nuwara Eliya district.
LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Uva Paranagama, Welimada, Kandaketiya, Badulla, Meegahakiwula, Hali_Ela, Passara and Lunugala in the Badulla district, Minipe in the Kandy district, Ambanganga Korale, Ukuwela, Rattota, Naula and Laggala_Pallegama in the Matale district, and Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district.
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A Policy is being formulated to ensure Child Protection in the use of Technology — Prime Minister
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that a policy is currently being formulated to ensure child protection in the use of technology.
The Prime Minister made this statement on Thursday (08) in Kandy while briefing the Most Venerable Mahanayake Theros of the Asgiriya and Malwathu Chapters on the issue that has arisen regarding the Grade 6 English module. Thereafter, printed copies of all modules were presented to the Mahanayake Theros.
Earlier on Thursday (08), the Prime Minister visited the Malwathu Viharaya in Kandy and met the Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Nayaka Thero, the Mahanayake of the Malwathu Chapter, where she explained the error that had occurred in the first print run of the English module for Grade 6 .
The Mahanayake Theros emphasized that education is a sensitive subject and that such matters should be handled with greater sensitivity and proper oversight. They further advised that a formal investigation should be conducted and that education reforms should be carried forward in a systematic manner.
Subsequently, the Prime Minister visited the Asgiriya Maha Viharaya and met the Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Mahanayaka Thero of the Asgiriya Chapter, where she clarified the error related to the English module.
The Mahanayake Thero noted that education reforms are a timely necessity and should be implemented with due oversight and careful review and also pointed out that there are broader issues in Sri Lanka regarding the use of technology, which are evident in the manner in which modern tools such as AI technologies are being used on social media.
Clarifying the issue Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya further stated,
“We have appointed a committee to look into this issue, and based on the recommendations of the National Institute of Education (NIE), steps were taken to remove the relevant lesson. In addition, all printed copies of the relevant module have been stamped, and no module has been distributed to schoolchildren. A formal investigation into this matter has been initiated by the Ministry, and a complaint has also been lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department.
At the same time, we are in the process of formulating a policy on child protection in the use of technology”.
Thereafter, addressing the media and responding to the’ questions raised by journalists, the Prime Minister stated:
“The Opposition is attempting to use this national task for their own political advantage. However, many in society have expressed their views on the issues that have arisen in a positive manner, with the objective of identifying and correcting mistakes. The government has decided to move forward with education reforms by recognizing the error that have occurred and rectifying them. We will take the no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition as an opportunity to further advance dialogue on education reforms”
The occasion was graced by the Most Venerable Anunayaka Thero of the Asgiriya Chapter, Venerable Narampanawe Ananda Nayaka Thero; Deputy Registrar of the Asgiriya Chapter, Venerable Muruddeniye Dhammarakkhita Thero; Deputy Registrar of the Malwathu Chapter, Venerable Mahawela Rathanapala Thero; Members of Parliament Thushari Jayasinghe and Thanura Dissanayake; Mayor of Kandy Chandrasiri Wijenayake; Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa; and Secretary to the Ceylon Teachers’ Union in Central Province D. D. Wimalaweera.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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The deep depression to the South-east of Sri Lanka is likely to intensify in to a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours
A RED warning for a deep depression to the South-east of Sri Lanka has been issued at 01.00 a.m. on 09 January 2026 for the period until 01.00 a.m. 10 January 2026 by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre, of the Department of Meteorology.
The deep depression in the Bay of Bengal to the southeast of Sri Lanka (At 01:00 a.m. on Jan 9th, 2026 located about 200 km East of Pottuvil) is very likely to intensify further and move west-northwestwards towards the coast of Sri Lanka between Pottuvil and Trincomalee in the evening today (9th January 2026.) The system is likely to intensify in to a cyclonic storm
during the next 24 hours.
Hence, showery, and windy condition over the island, particularly in the Northern, North-Central, Eastern, Uva and Central provinces is expected to enhance.
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