News
Four SL stowaways nabbed aboard container vessel sent back
By Norman Palihawadane
Four Lankan stowaways caught while travelling in a cargo ship conveying apparel exports to Europe from Sri Lanka had been handed over to the Sri Lankan authorities, police said.
The suspects sneaked into the MV CMA CGM PANAMA container ship while it was at Colombo Harbour last month. They were discovered by the captain of the ship at the Suez Canal security checkpoint in Egypt.
The stowaways were returned to Sri Lanka on another ship of the same shipping company.
They were handed over by the ship’s authorities to the officials of the Immigration Department at the Galle Port on Monday (10) evening.
The four youth aged 25, 31, 32 and 32, are residents of Jaffna and Mullaitivu.
Immigration Department officials handed over the youths to the Galle Port Police. They were later transferred to the CID yesterday (11). Action will be taken not only against them but also against the people who aided and abetted them, the police said.
The suspects divulged that they had sneaked into the container ship when it was at the Colombo Harbour on March 24. The ship left the port of Colombo on March 25 and commenced its journey to Europe.
When the ship was entering the Suez Canal in Egypt, it was discovered that there were four stowaways in the ship who were not known to the captain or the other staff of the ship.
The captain then informed his parent company about the discovery and according to their instructions , on March 28 these persons have been handed over to the MV Jackson Bay ship belonging to the same company sailing towards Sri Lanka.
They kept the four Sri Lankan youths in a special cell and brought them to the international waters near the Galle port under strict security.
After the officials of the Galle Port Immigration and Emigration Department, were informed, a team of officials of Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Police and Sri Lanka Port Authority approached the MV Jackson Bay traveling on the international waters and the four men were handed over to the custody of Sri Lankan authorities on Monday evening.
A heated argument broke out between Jaffna District MP Archchuna Ramanathan and Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar during the Kilinochchi District Coordination Committee meeting held yesterday (16).
A video footage of the incident shows the MP and the Minister engaging in a heated verbal exchange, following which a physical confrontation appeared to develop when the Minister attempted to grab files reportedly in the possession of MP Ramanathan.
“If you lay a hand on me, I’ll lay a hand on you too… got it?” Ramanathan is heard telling the Minister during the exchange.
Police and officials present at the meeting intervened to prevent the situation from escalating further.
The circumstances that led to the confrontation were not immediately clear.
Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has filed an intervening petition before the Court of Appeal in connection with a petition filed by former head of the State Intelligence Service, Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay, challenging his arrest and detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act over investigations into the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
The Cardinal has sought permission from the court to make submissions in relation to Sallay’s petition and requested that it be dismissed.
The Colombo High Court yesterday fixed for Aug. 31 the pre-trial conference in the money laundering case filed by the Attorney General against former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, and his great-aunt Daisy Forrest.
The case was taken up before Colombo High Court Judge Rashmi Singappuli.
State Counsel Oswald Perera requested court to fix a date for the pre-trial conference and informed the judge that the prosecution would announce its position regarding the second accused, Daisy Forrest, at the conference. He also said the prosecution intended to notify court of amendments to the indictment.
After considering the submissions, Judge Singappuli ordered that the pre-trial conference be held on Aug. 31.
The Attorney General has indicted Yoshitha Rajapaksa and Daisy Forrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, alleging that they deposited nearly Rs. 59 million in bank accounts knowing, or having reason to believe, that the funds had been unlawfully acquired.
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