News
It’s an offence for public officials not to comply with EC directives – IRES
by PRIYAN DE SILVA
Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES) Executive Director, Manjula Gajanayake, said that he hoped the media reports to the effect that Defence Secretary Kamal Guneratne not heeding summons made by the Election Commission of Sri Lanka were not true.
Addressing the media, Gajanayake said that there were media reports of the Defence Secretary not attending a meeting summoned by the Commission to discuss security matters, pertaining to the forthcoming local government elections.
Gajanayaka pointed out that if any public official refuses, or fails, without a reasonable cause, to comply with the Commission, he or she has committed an offence as per the Article 104GG of the Constitution.
The Artice 104GG of the Constitution states: ”(1) Any public officer, any employee of any public corporation, business or other undertaking vested in the Government under any other written law and any company registered or deemed to be registered under the Companies Act, No. 7 of 2007, in which the Government or any public corporation or local authority holds fifty per centum or more of the shares of that company, who – (a) refuses or fails without a reasonable cause to co-operate with the Commission, to secure the enforcement of any law relating to the holding of an election or the conduct of a Referendum; or (b) fails without a reasonable cause to comply with any directions or guidelines issued by the Commission under sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph (4) or sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph (5), respectively, of Article 104B, shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand rupees or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both such fine and imprisonment.
The election monitor said that public officials should act in accordance with the Constitution and not contravene it at the bidding of their political masters.
(Ms.) Nina P. Cainglet, Ambassador of the Philippines to Sri Lanka based in Dhaka, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya at the Prime Minister’s Office on May 16, 2025.
The Prime Minister welcomed Ambassador Cainglet and extended her congratulations on the new appointment. The discussion focused on expanding cooperation in trade and tourism, with both sides expressing their commitment to exploring new opportunities in these key sectors. The meeting also addressed consular matters relating to the Filipino community in Sri Lanka. In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured continued dialogue and necessary support on relevant issues.
The meeting was attended by Ms. Judienne Capiz, Vice Consul of the Embassy of the Philippines in Dhaka, Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister; Ms. Sagarika Bogahawatta, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister; Ms. S.S. Premawardhane, Additional Secretary, Bilateral Political Affairs (East); and M.R. Keegel, Deputy Director, Southeast Asia & Central Asia Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division].
The Bribery Commission on Friday filed a corruption case against former Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena and ex-BOI Director General Jayantha Edirisinghe, accusing them of misusing public cash for a lavish newspaper ad campaign back in 2014.
They stand accused of siphoning Rs. 1.7 million in state funds to publish 11 newspaper supplements marking the second inauguration anniversary of then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa on November 19, 2014.
According to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), the move amounted to a clear breach of anti-graft laws, with five formal charges now filed before the Colombo High Court.
The case, centred around alleged misuse of Board of Investment (BOI) funds, is backed by 21 pieces of documentary evidence and testimony from 15 witnesses.
The Bribery Commission maintains that the ad blitz had no official sanction and led to a direct loss of Rs. 1,748,877.76 to the state.
Inspector General of Police T.M.W. Deshabandu Tennakoon is set to face formal questioning tomorrow (May 19) over serious allegations of misconduct and abuse of power, parliamentary sources said on Friday.
A special committee appointed to investigate the claims will commence formal proceedings next week, following several rounds of preliminary discussions held within the parliamentary complex in recent weeks.
The IGP has been officially notified to appear before the committee and is expected to face the inquiry for the first time at 2:00 PM in Committee Room No. 8.
The committee, which met again on Thursday (15) to finalise arrangements, is investigating allegations that Tennakoon misused his official powers in a manner deemed severe and improper.
Massimo Stano smashes world 35km race walk record in Podebrady
Eurovision 2025: Austria wins with last-minute vote
Two dead as Mexican Navy ship crashes into Brooklyn Bridge
-
Features7 days agoChampioning Geckos, Conservation, and Cross-Disciplinary Research in Sri Lanka
-
Midweek Review5 days agoBronze statue for P’karan, NPP defeat in the North and 16th anniversary of triumph over terrorism
-
News3 days agoChikungunya spreading rapidly in Colombo and suburbs
-
News6 days agoExpert: Mismanagement of CEB hydro resources increases costly oil-powered electricity generation
-
News5 days agoFrench Navy Ship ‘BEAUTEMPS BEAUPRE’ sets sail from Colombo
-
Business2 days agoHameedia launches ‘We Create’ – Sri Lanka’s first-ever online tailoring platform
-
Features7 days agoAll in the mind!
-
Business2 days agoSupreme Court launches online payments via GovPay – a milestone in judicial digitalization