News
Foreign hand in Gotabaya’s ouster: Chief Govt. Whip wants thorough probe
Speaker: ‘What is there to investigate?’
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga yesterday (26) said that against the backdrop of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s recent disclosure of a powerful foreign role in the violent public protest campaign that overthrew President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, re-examination of May 09/10 and July 09/14 events was necessary.
The Gampaha District SLPP leader said so when The Island asked him why all political parties, represented in Parliament, including the ruling party, remained silent on the Speaker’s declaration on March 21.
Having comfortably defeated a No-Confidence Motion (NCM) moved against him by the Opposition, Speaker Abeywardena, after having remained silent for nearly two years, said for the first time that local and foreign conspirators asked him to take over the presidency and later threatened to harm him unless he cooperated with their strategy.
The Island asked Minister Ranatunga why political parties and various other interested groups were demanding an investigation into MP Maithripala Sirisena’s claim that he knew the mastermind of the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage but remained silent on the Speaker’s bombshell disclosure. Ranatunga assured that he would raise the issue at the Party Leaders’ meeting.
National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa alleged, in his book, Nine: The Hidden Story, that US Ambassador in Colombo Julie Chung had invited Speaker Abeywardena to succeed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on July 13, 2022.
Ranatunga said that he was not satisfied at all with the ongoing investigations into the premeditated violence directed at SLPPers across the country after attacks on Aragalaya activists besieging Temple Trees and occupying Galle Face on the evening of May 09, 2022.
Minister Ranatunga said that though a case filed against the police and military for their failure to thwart destruction of public property had been withdrawn in late May last year after an assurance received from the Public Security Ministry regarding a fresh inquiry, they were in the dark as to the progress of that investigation.
Responding to further questions, Minister Ranatunga said as one of several dozen politicians who lost personal property due to violence unleashed by organised gangs, he complained to the Human Rights Commission. “I have provided video evidence to facilitate the HRC investigation and appeared before them twice but the progress is slow. Very slow,” lawmaker Ranatunga said.
Speaker Abeywardena said that he wouldn’t pursue the matter. “What is there to investigate further,” Speaker Abeywardena said when The Island asked him whether he intended to take this up at the party leaders’ meeting.
The Speaker indicated that he didn’t see any point in pursuing foreign hand in Aragalaya when The Island pointed out angry reactions to MP Sirisena’s claim on the Easter Sunday mastermind and silence on his shocking acknowledgement of foreign hand in Aragalaya.
Minister Ranatunga said that they were clueless as to the status of the investigation. The police and military could have thwarted the attack on my residence but they did nothing, Minister Ranatunga said, emphasising the responsibility on the part of the government to punish those responsible for destruction of private properties. Similarly, those who failed to act, too, should be punished, the Minister said.
by Saman Indrajith
TheBatalanda Presidential Co-mission report was tabled in Parliament yesterday (14) by the Leader of the House and Transport Minister, Bimal Ratnayake.
Minister Ratnayake announced that the government has decided to forward the report to the Attorney General for legal advice. Additionally, a Presidential Committee will be appointed to provide guidance and recommendations on how to proceed with the findings of the report.
Ratnayake said that the Cabinet-of-Ministers, along with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has made a policy decision to take necessary action in response to the report. He reassured the public that steps are being taken to ensure that such a dark chapter in the country’s history is never repeated.
Minister Ratnayake said that a two-day debate on the Batalanda Commission report will be scheduled in Parliament at an appropriate time, allowing for a detailed discussion on the report’s findings and recommendations.
The report, which will be printed in all three official languages—Sinhala, Tamil, and English—will be made available to the public in the near future. Ratnayake confirmed that printed copies would be provided to Members of Parliament, as well as the general public, for review.
The Leader of the House revealed that there are 28 evidence volumes associated with the Commission’s work, which will be submitted to Parliament at a later date for further scrutiny.
Ratnayake said that as the entire country is concerned about the findings of the Batalanda Commission, the government’s commitment to addressing the issues raised, and preventing future atrocities, stands clear. The next steps, including legal action and policy recommendations, will be shaped by expert advice and informed parliamentary discussions, he said.
The Parliamentary watchdog Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has found that there were fake documents regarding the importing of medicines under the emergency procurement system in 2022 and 2023.
This was revealed during a COPE meeting held at Parliament probing the transactions of the National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA).
NMRA CEO Saveen Semage told the Committee that several fake documents have been found due to the lack of registration of medicines.
Stating that six such fake documents were found last year alone, Saveen Semage said he had recorded statements regarding each of the documents with the Financial Crimes Investigation Division.
He revealed that, however, no investigations have been conducted yet into the incidents.
“We have documents with confessions from a woman accepting that fake documents had been made. However, a statement has not even been recorded from that woman yet,” he said.
Meanwhile, COPE member MP Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana also revealed that the highest number of waive-off registrations (WOR) for medicines had been obtained in 2022 and 2023.
He said 656 waive-off registrations (WOR) had been obtained in 2022 and 261 in 2023, adding that this proves that discrepancies have taken place during the emergency procurement of medicines during these periods.
Furthermore, Deputy Director General of the Medical Supplies Division of the Health Ministry, Dr. G. Wijesuriya, said discussions are underway on allowing the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) to directly import essential medicines.He pointed out that it was essential to take a policy decision in this regard as a solution to mitigate such discrepancies.
by Norman Palihawadane
Department of Prisons’ Media Spokesperson, Gamini Dissanayake said yesterday that retired Superintendent of the high security Boossa Prison, Siridath Dhammika, who was tragically gunned down at Thalagaha, in Akmeemana, on Thursday (13), had been provided with a firearm for his protection during his tenure, considering the potential threat to his life.
Dissanayake said that during his service period, he had received threats from certain individuals.
Furthermore, the Prison Department stated that during his service, there were no significant issues or shortcomings found in his personal records.
Dissanayake said that the majority of detainees at the Boossa Prison are individuals linked to organized crimes.
Batalanda Commission report tabled … finally
COPE finds fake documents submitted for emergency procurement of drugs
Retired Superintendent of High Security Boossa Prison had threats – Prison Spokesman
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