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INSS Director General says no proof Zahran met intelligence operatives

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There was no concrete evidence to prove that National Thawheed Jamath (NTJ) leader, Zahran Hashim, who spearheaded the Easter suicide attacks, had met intelligence operatives, Director General Institute of National Security Studies, Sri Lanka (INSS), Prof. Rohan Gunaratna said on Thursday.

Prof. Gunaratna said that there were rumours that Hashim’s wife, Hadiya, had told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on the Easter Sunday Attacks that the NTJ leader had been contacted by the intelligence agencies.

“However, I have studied the 300-page statement she gave to the PCOI, the 100-page statement she made to the CID unit attached to the

Commission, the 22-page statement that she made to police while at Batticaloa Hospital and two previous statements to CID while she was at her mother’s house in Kekunagolla. She doesn’t say anywhere that Zahran met intelligence operatives. I have also interviewed Hadiya for months. She didn’t tell me any such thing,” he said.

The INSS Director General said that in videos that Zahran had released, he continuously referred to intelligence operatives as dogs and that they were his enemies. Prof. Gunaratna also insisted that Hadiya, who was married to Zahran at the age of 15, opposed him ideologically and even refused to wear the clothing worn by Wahhabists.

Prof. Gunaratna said that Zahran and the NTJ had not received any funding from non-Muslims and most of the funding came from the two Ibrahim brothers.

“In the footage, we uncovered, Zahran insists that the money is halal and that they are funded by believers. He adds that they received no money from non-Muslims or governments. The Ibrahim brothers, the sons of a wealthy spice trader, were his main sources of funding. This is what both local and foreign investigators here have found,” he said.

Prof. Gunaratna said that while most Muslims didn’t support the ideology espoused by Zahran, steps should be taken to curb the spread of Salafism and Wahabism. Those ideologies were competing with traditional Islam, and it would have dangerous consequences, he said.

“Traditional Islam practiced here was a beautiful ideology. There was no separation between Muslims and non-Muslims. However, after opening up the economy and especially after the tsunami, a tiny segment started to look and think differently. Their dress code, schools, food, and practices changed. If you look at the Ibrahim brothers, they didn’t have their children vaccinated and they insisted on home schooling. They disrupted the excellent friendship that existed between Muslims and non-Muslims. These ideologies must be tightly controlled. We need a rehabilitation programme and to regulate religious space. Salafism and Wahabism inevitably lead to exclusivism that leads to extremism and extremism leads to terrorism,” Dr. Gunaraten said. (RK)



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Govt. fleeces electricity consumers despite CEB’s Rs. 263 bn profit this year

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Ranawaka

Power sector workers shouldn’t be granted year-end bonuses

Leader of the Eksath Janaraja Peramuna (EJP) and former Power Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said that CEB workers shouldn’t be granted year end/Christmas bonuses as they had not contributed to the much favourable current financial status of that state-owned enterprise.

Ex-parliamentarian Ranawaka said that the CEB had earned massive profits solely by implementing extremely unfair tariff structure, therefore workers shouldn’t be paid bonuses.

The former Minister was addressing the media at the EJP Colombo office. Referring to official records, the EJP leader said that the CEB had earned a profit of Rs. 6161 mn in 2023 and also saved Rs. 36 bn. So far this year (January to November), the CEB had recorded Rs. 263 bn profit but the government continued to fleece consumers.

Ranawaka also questioned the failure on the part of the government to provide electricity consumers relief as decided by the Cabinet during the previous government that there would be quarterly revision of pricing formula.

Ranawaka said that the government should explain why it couldn’t decrease fuel prices by a significant amount. The NPP administration should at least admit that it couldn’t do away with the current unbearable tax regime. The ex-parliamentarian asked the NPP to acknowledge that the government feared collapse in case of abolition of heavy taxes on fuel.

The ex-Minister challenged the NPP to prove accusations that had been directed at ministers of previous governments without propagating allegations. According to Ranawaka, both diesel and petrol prices remained high as the government levied Rs 50 and 72 on diesel and petrol, respectively, in addition to 18% VAT (Value Added Tax).

Ranawaka pointed out that in addition to Ceypetco, IOC and Sinopec had been levying taxes heavily with diesel (Rs 88-94) and petrol (Rs 110-117) imports per litre (SF)

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Isurupaya protest: Apprehended man from Army intelligence

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A person who had been apprehended by protesting Development Officers during a noisy demonstration outside the Education Ministry at Isurupaya and handed over to police was subsequently identified as a member of the Military Intelligence.

Police said that those demanding they be made permanent in the teaching service alleged that the apprehended man allegedly caused injuries to policemen deployed at the scene.

A Sub-Inspector of Police (SI) and two constables were injured. (HR)

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SLMC National List MP sworn in

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A smiling Muhammathu Saali Naleem walking towards the Speaker's Chair to be sworn in as a member of the Tenth Parliament yesterday(Pic courtesy parliament)

Muhammathu Saali Naleem was sworn in as a member of the Tenth Parliament yesterday before Speaker Dr. Asoka Ranwala.

Following the oath taking, Naleem signed the Members’ Roll in the presence of Secretary General of Parliament, Kushani Rohanadeera, marking his formal induction into the legislative body. Naleem was appointed as a National List Member of Parliament, representing the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC).

The inaugural session of the Tenth Parliament took place on November 21st, 2024, with members taking their oaths the following day. On November 22nd, the Election Commission issued a gazette notification confirming Naleem’s appointment to the National List of the SLMC, paving the way for his oath-taking ceremony yesterday.

Before entering Parliament, Naleem served as the Chairman of the Eravur Urban Council, bringing valuable local governance experience to his new role as a lawmaker.

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