News
Ex-CID Director Shani answers PCoI questions from hospital bed
… says police grilled wrong suspect over killing of two cops at Vavunativu
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Former Director of the CID Shani Abeysekera yesterday told the PCoI investigating the Easter Sunday bombings that they had realised that the Islamic terrorists were responsible for the killing of two policemen in Vavunativu only after the Easter Sunday attacks.
Abeysekera, who is currently receiving treatment at Ward 42 of the National Hospital, Colombo, testified via Skype. He had earlier contracted COVID-19.
When Abeysekera began testifying, Attorney-at-Law, Upul Kumarapperuma, appearing for the witness told the Commission that it was doubtful whether his client had adequate time to refer to documents necessary to answer the questions. He also pointed out that Abeysekera was not currently in active service.
Abeysekera told the PCoI that he had received the relevant documents only at around 12 noon yesterday. Therefore, he said, he did not have enough time to study them.
Kumarapperuma then requested the Commission to obtain Abeysekera’s evidence laster. However, the Commissioners stated the term of the PCoI ended on 31 January and it was therefore impossible to postpone the evidence to another date. The commissioners informed Abeysekera to answer questions to the best of his ability and to refer to the documents when necessary.
The commission first asked the witness about the investigations he had carried out. The incidents included the suicide bomb attack on the then President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in 1999, the murder of Yvonne Jonsson at the Royal Park apartment complex in 2005, the murder of ten people in Udathalawinna, and the murder of six people in a car at Delkanda Junction, the murder of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, the incident where 27 inmates were killed at Welikada Prison, the shooting of three persons at Rathupaswala and the abduction of Journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda.
Abeysekera said that he had been appointed as the Director of the CID in 2017.
When Commissioners asked him about the murder of two Police officers in the Vavunathivu area on 30 November, 2018, Abeysekara said that the CID had taken over the investigation on the instructions of the then IGP Pujith Jayasundara. A former LTTE cadre had been questioned on detention orders in that regard, he said.
However, further investigations had revealed that the suspect was not involved in the incident. After 21 April, 2019, it had been revealed that the killing was carried out by a group on the instructions of National Thowheed Jamaat leader Zahran Hashim, Abeysekera said.
Due to the considerable time spent on following the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act No. 09 of 1950, approval has been granted at the cabinet meeting held on 11-01-2021 to amend the said Land Acquisition Act appropriate to the current requirement so that the time taken for the process of acquisition of lands can be minimized, lands can be acquired under a simple procedure, and the compensation can be paid under a unified procedure. The initial draft has been prepared for that purpose, and the legal draftsman has informed that the policy approval of the Cabinet of Ministers should be taken for the completion of the activities of the preparation of the draft.
Accordingly, taking into consideration the proposal presented by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation, the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to instruct the legal draftsman to prepare the draft promptly.
Since the procedures that should be followed in obtaining and managing foreign debts are covered by the Public Debt Management Act No. 33 of 2024, the Foreign Debt Act No. 29 of 1957 and all the amendments thereto should be cancelled. The policy agreement has been provided at the cabinet meeting held on 09-12-2024 for that purpose. The clearance of the Attorney General has been received for the Foreign Debt (Abolishment) Draft prepared by the draftsman.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development to publish the said draft in the Government Gazette and thereafter to present it to the Parliament for approval.
It was decided by the then Cabinet of Ministers at the cabinet meeting held on 02-09-2024 to liquidate the Co-operative Wholesale Corporation Act No. 47 of 1949 and to liquidate the said establishment.
However, there is a possibility to perform a decisive role for the Co-operative Wholesale Corporation in the implementation of government roles within the market operation with the objective of a continuous supply of quality goods and services to the public under a reasonable price through the promotion of market competitiveness in compliance with the “Rich country—beautiful life” policy framework.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Trade, Commercial, Food Security, and Cooperative Development to abolish the previous cabinet decision in respect of the liquidation of the Cooperative Wholesale Corporation and recommence the business activities of the said corporation based on a feasible business plan.
Cabinet nod to amend Land Acquisition Act No.09 of 1950
Foreign Debt Act No. 29 of 1957 and all amendments thereto to be repealed
Co-operative Wholesale Establishment to continue
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