News
Govt. MP moves SC to cancel SLIIT deal, action against ex-Minister et al
“CIABOC slept on my complaint regarding loss of Rs 23 bn’
SLPP Colombo District lawmaker Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC, has moved the Supreme Court in terms of the Article 126 and Article 17 of the Constitution requesting the cancellation of agreements between the Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund and Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT).
Former Justice Minister and also the former President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), having named Cabinet of ministers, including the PM, Members of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, IGP, Attorney General, members of the SLIIT and the Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund as respondents, asked for issuing of notices to them and most importantly an order directing Attorney-General to charge and indict Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, Dr. Wickrama Weerasooriya (deceased), Anil Rajakaruna, Prof. Lalith R. Gamage, Prof. Luxman Rathnayaka and Manjula Sagara Ellepola in line with the recommendations made by a Presidential Commission that inquired into the matter.
MP Rajapakshe has also requested the SC to direct the CIABOC to initiate legal action and indict Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, Dr. Wickrama Weerasooriya (deceased), Anil Rajakaruna, Prof. Lalith R. Gamage, Prof. Luxman Rathnayaka and Manjula Sagara Ellepola
The President’s Counsel in his petition said that those responsible should be charged and prosecuted under Sections 452, 454, 388 and 389 of the Penal Code and also prosecuted for the offence punishable under section 70 of the Bribery Commission Act.
Appearing before the SC in person, MP Rajapakshe said that the Attorney-General had been made a party to represent the President in terms of Article 35(1) of the Constitution.
MP Rajapakshe moved SC in the wake of parliamentary watchdog committee COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises) calling for government intervention to take back SLIIT.
The petitioner stated that on examination of relevant documents it was revealed that Prof. Laxman Ratnayake (34th Respondent) and Prof. Lalith R. Gamage (35thRespondent) received appointment as directors of said company in their capacity as employees of the Moratuwa University, and the 35th Respondent has been appointed in view of the fact that he is the son-in-law of late Kingsly Wickremaratne, who was the Minister in Charge of the Mahapola Trust Fund at that time.
The petitioner stated that he found that the Prof. Laxman
Ratnayake and Prof. Lalith R. Gamage had surreptitiously, gradually and fraudulently got the non-State actors appointed as directors whenever vacancies occurred due to retirement of the ex-officio directors and finally it was ended up with all the directors being non-State actors who were not holding any public office.
The petitioner alleged Prof. Laxman Ratnayake and Prof. Lalith R. Gamage (had acted in collusion with late Dr. Wickrama Weerasuriya, who was a newly appointed member of the Mahapola Trust Fund, and upon being questioned and convinced about the fraud committed the petitioner, in his capacity as the Higher Education Minister ordered him to resign from the trusteeship of the Mahapola Trust Fund and also from the membership of the University Grant Commission forthwith and accordingly he resigned.
The Petitioner stated that the Auditor General’s Department after having a special investigation into the issue at hand in a report dated 07.09.2018 asserted that the trustees of the Mahapola Trust Fund were responsible for causing a loss to the fund amounting to over Rs. 1,645,494,237 by handing over ownership to another party.
The petitioner alleged that though he made a complaint to the CIABOC on 25 February 2019 that the loss caused to Sliit as a result of the corrupt transaction at that time was about Rs. 23,000,000,000. (Rs. 23 billion), the outfit did nothing except for recording statements from him twice. (SF)
News
Sun directly overhead Galle, Angulugaha, Imaduwa, Telijjawila, Yatiyana and Tangalle about 12.08 noon today (07)
The sun is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 28th of August to 07th of September due to its apparent southward relative motion.
The nearest places of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (07) are Galle, Angulugaha, Imaduwa, Telijjawila, Yatiyana and Tangalle about 12.08 noon.
By Norman Palihawadane
The CID recently found that former SLPP Deputy Minister Premalal Jayasekara, better known as ‘Choka Malli’, had left for Thailand when the Supreme Court imposed an overseas travel ban on him last Friday.
The CID discovered that Jayasekara had left Sri Lanka on August 31, while authorities were taking steps to enforce the travel restriction imposed by the Supreme Court. The Department has subsequently informed the Attorney General’s Department of the development.
The Supreme Court last Friday ordered Jayasekara, and two other men, to appear before court on October 21, and imposed a ban on their overseas travel.
The orders were made as the Supreme Court considered an appeal challenging the acquittal of the three men in connection with the 2015 murder of Shantha Dodangoda, also known as D.G. Sunil Perera.
The appeal was filed by Dodangoda’s wife against a decision of the Court of Appeal to acquit and release Jayasekara and the two other accused, who had previously been convicted and sentenced to death by the Ratnapura High Court.
Dodangoda was killed in a shooting in Kahawatta town, in the early hours of January 5, 2015, while a group of people were putting up decorations for an election rally in support of then common Opposition presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena.
Two others, Karunadasa Weerasinghe and Mohamed Ilfan, were seriously injured in the shooting.
Following the incident, the Ratnapura High Court convicted Jayasekara, former Chairman of the Kahawatta Pradeshiya Sabha Wajira Darshana de Silva, and former Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council member Nilanta Jayakody, sentencing all three to death.
The Court of Appeal subsequently acquitted the three men and ordered their release.
The victim’s wife later challenged the acquittal before the Supreme Court.
The appeal was taken up before a Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justices Achala Wengappuli and Gihan Kulatunga.
During the proceedings, Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara requested that the court impose overseas travel restrictions on Jayasekara and the other respondents.
The Supreme Court subsequently ordered all three to appear before the court on October 21 and imposed travel bans on them.
President’s Counsel Nalin Ladduwahetty, President’s Counsel U.R. de Silva and President’s Counsel Anuja Premaratne appeared for the respondents. President’s Counsel Saliya Peiris represented the aggrieved party.
Police sources said that the discovery that Jayasekara had already left for Thailand, on August 31, has raised concerns over the timing and enforcement of the travel ban.
Sources said that the CID had notified the Attorney General’s Department and was taking further action in relation to the development.
By Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon
The number of deaths from dengue fever in Sri Lanka has risen to 73 this year, with 96,228 cases reported across the country so far, according to the Dengue Control Unit.
The latest figures indicate that dengue continues to pose a significant public health concern, with 737 new cases recorded during the first four days of September alone.
Dengue infections peaked in July, when 29,964 cases were reported, according to the latest data. June recorded the second-highest monthly total, with 21,533 cases, while 10,155 cases were reported in August.
Earlier in the year, 8,590 cases were recorded in May and 7,866 cases in January.The Western Province remains the worst-affected area, accounting for more than half of all dengue cases reported nationwide. A total of 50,851 cases have been recorded in the province, representing 52.84% of the country’s total.
The Southern Province has recorded 13,950 cases, followed by the Central Province with 8,818 cases and Sabaragamuwa Province with 7,925 cases.
Sun directly overhead Galle, Angulugaha, Imaduwa, Telijjawila, Yatiyana and Tangalle about 12.08 noon today (07)
Showers above 50 mm are likely at some places in the Uva and Eastern provinces.
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‘Choka Malli’ slips out of country before travel ban
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