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Govt. urged to make Bimal face same legal action as Rambukwella over questionable release of containers

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Rathnayake / Rambukwella

RTI query on release of 323 containers under suspicious circumstances

Customs: Practice of releasing containers without inspection nothing new

Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader Udaya Gammanpila yesterday (27) demanded that Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake be arrested for ordering the release of 323 containers without Customs checks from the Colombo port on 18 January 2025.

Attorney-at-law Gammanpila said that Minister Rathnayake had no authority whatsoever to issue instructions to the Director General of Customs to skip mandatory clearance.

The former Power and Energy Minister dealt with the continuing controversy over releasing of containers on Minister Rathnayake’s directive at his regular media briefing at the PHU office at Pita Kotte.

Pointing out that Minister Rathnayake had said that he personally ordered the release of containers in question, the ex-lawmaker said that though the Colombo Port came under Rathnayake’s purview as the Minister of Port, the Customs was under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is also the Finance Minister.

Acknowledging that Minister Rathnayake had been appointed to the Cabinet sub-committee that was tasked to address congestion at the Colombo Port, former Gammanpila said that the Committee could have made recommendations. As a member of that Committee Minister Rathnayake couldn’t have issued orders directly to the Customs Chief, he said.

Gammanpila accused the Customs of trying to suppress information relating to the released containers. Gammanpila disclosed that the Customs had side-stepped the questions posed to them in terms of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. “We submitted a set of questions on February 08, 2025 to the Customs. Instead of answering intended to identify the categories the released containers were assigned to, the Customs on April 3, 2025 sent us a media release dated January 29 that dealt with the issue at hand.”

The former Minister said that the cargo at issue remained a mystery. Referring to the arrest of former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella over misappropriation of public funds on the pretext of importing cancer drugs, PHU leader asked President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to take similar action against Minister Rathnayake.

Responding to the former Minister’s allegation, the Customs said that they had cleared thousands of containers without inspection since early 2024, though the issue came to light recently as a result of unions launching a campaign against the top management.

Sources familiar with the issue told The Island that the Customs began clearing containers that had been marked for examination to overcome congestion at the Colombo Port during President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure.

The Customs had adopted the controversial strategy to ease congestion as there was no other alternative, sources said. Clearing of containers had been carried out intermittently during this period, including the run-up to the presidential and parliamentary elections in September and November, respectively, sources said.

Gammanpila challenged the government to clear its name by revealing identities of the importers of those containers.

By Shamindra Ferdinando



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Landslide early warnings issued to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Kurunegala, Matale and Nuwara-Eliya extended till 8AM on Sunday (21)

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The Landslide Early Warning Centre of the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) has extended the Landslide Early Warning issued to the districts of Badulla,  Kandy,  Kurunegala,  Matale and Nuwara-Eliya till  08:00AM on Sunday (21st December 2025)

The LEVEL III RED landslide early warnings issued to the Divisional Secetaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Medadumbara, Doluwa, Ududumbara and Minipe in the Kandy district,  and Nildandahinna, Hanguranketha, Mathurata and
Walapane have been extended.

LEVEL II AMBER   landslide early warnings have also been issued to the Divisional Secetaries Divisions  and surrounding areas of Soranathota, Hali_Ela, Passara,  Meegahakivula, Badulla, Lunugala and  Kandeketiya in the Badulla district,  Thumpane, Harispattuwa, Udapalatha, Kundasale, Akurana, Poojapitiya, Udunuwara, Pathadumbara, Pasbage Korale, Gangawata Korale, Hatharaliyadda, Yatinuwara, Ganga Ihala Korale, Panvila, Pathahewaheta and Deltota in the Kandy district,  Rideegama in the Kurunegala district,  Ukuwela, Naula, Matale, Ambanganga Korale, Rattota, Pallepola, Wilgamuwa, Yatawatta and Laggala Pallegama in the Matale district,  and Nuwara-Eliya in the Nuwara-Eliya district.

LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secetaries Divisions and surrounding areas of  Uva Paranagama, Welimada, Haputhale, Haldummulla, Ella and
Bandarawela in the Badulla district, Alawwa, Mallawapitiya,
Polgahawela and Mawathagama in the Kurunegala district,  and Kothmale East, Ambagamuwa Korale, Kothmale West, Thalawakele and Norwood in the Nuwara-Eliya district.

 

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PM says govt. will introduce a new Constitution to abolish executive presidency

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Harini Amarasuriya

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya yesterday sad that the Executive Presidency would be abolished, in line with the NPP’s election manifesto.

Speaking in Parliament, in response to a question raised under Standing Order 27/2 by Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa, the Prime Minister said the abolition would take place through a proposed new Constitution.

She added that preliminary work on drafting the new Constitution had already begun, with previous committee reports and other proposals being studied to guide the process.

“A concept paper on the draft will be presented to the Cabinet,” Amarasuriya said, noting that a formal study has been initiated on abolishing the Executive Presidency.

She said that the move cannot be implemented without introducing a new Constitution.

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Opposition Leader rises in defence of Dr. Bellana 

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Sajith

Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament yesterday that the suspension of duties imposed on Dr. Rukshan Bellana, Deputy Director of the National Hospital, amounted to a violation of his fundamental rights.

Raising the issue during parliamentary proceedings, Premadasa, who is also the SJB Leader, questioned the decision to suspend the senior medical officer for issuing a statement to the media, particularly on matters relating to children’s medicines.

He said health was a fundamental right and noted that two children had reportedly died, stressing that the focus should be on accountability over the incident rather than penalising a medical professional for speaking out.

Premadasa criticised the authorities for suspending Dr. Bellana solely for communicating with the media, asking whether such action constituted justice for families who had lost their children.The Opposition Leader said silencing officials, who raise concerns, undermines fundamental rights and does not address the underlying issues related to patient safety and public health.

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