News
Kiriella asks President to apologise to people for the mess
By saman Indrajith
Chief Opposition Whip and Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella yesterday speaking in parliament called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to learn from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and tender an apology to the public for the mess he created by driving people to stage street protests.
“The present crisis has been created by none other but by President Rajapaksa. He should take a cue from Indian Prime Minister Modi. Modi introduced an Act in Parliament to give farmers’ lands to companies. Farmers with the support of people held protests all over India. That resulted in Modi losing four provincial states. Thereafter he withdrew the particular Act and apologized to farmers. President Rajapaksa should do the same.
“We have been trying for three days to find solutions for the crises. This is not a crisis of our making. The Speaker warns of a looming food crisis. The reason for the food crisis is nothing but an arbitrary decision made by the President to go organic and banning chemical fertilisers that resulted in 50 per cent loss of harvest.
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena: I said that there would be a food shortage if action was not taken to prevent it. The government has decided to permit import of chemical fertiliser.
Chief Opposition Whip: What I am asking is whether Parliament was consulted before making that decision. It is an arbitrary decision. As per the Article 27 of the Constitution the President is bound by the responsibility to provide people with sufficient food, clothing and housing. There is a list of such needs. When the President took the oath, he pledged to uphold and protect the constitution. Now, he has violated that. People have no food, clothing and housing. A bag of cement now costs more than Rs. 3,000. Prices of clothes have increased by 300 per cent.
“Soon after he assumed office as President he amassed all the powers given to the Prime Minister, the Speaker and Parliament by the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. He weakened the powers of parliament. Now, he is asking for solutions from parliament that has been rendered invalid. Suppose we found a solution for these crises, this president can decide not to implement them.
“It is not us in this parliament who should be held responsible for the crises. It was not us who conducted talks with India on Trinco oil tank farm. Parliament was not informed of those talks and agreements. A section of the port was given to China. We still do not know what exactly had been given to them. We boast that parliament has supremacy over all public finances, yet the finance minister has not spoken a word to parliament since Dec 10,” Kiriella said.
The Opposition yesterday called for the entire Cabinet-of-Ministers to accept responsibility for the coal scam. Addressing the media at the Flower Road Office of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, former Foreign Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris emphasised that Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody’s resignation, in the wake of the damning report issued by the National Audit Office (NAO), has now implicated the entire Cabinet-of-Ministers.
Prof. Peiris asserted that Jayakody, who had been indicted in the Colombo High Court over alleged corruption, during the Yahapalana administration, stepped down after the NPP failed to suppress the truth on the coal scam.
The ex-Minister declared that Jayakody’s resignation, the first since the formation of new government, with a super majority in Parliament, was a devastating setback for the current dispensation.
The internationally recognised legal scholar said that a future government would move courts against the entire NPP Cabinet. Referring to the NAO report submitted to Parliament, Prof. Peiris emphasised that there was absolutely no ambiguity regards allegations directed at the Energy Ministry. The NAO report proved that the Indian company, Trident Champhar, that won the major contract, didn’t even have the required registration.
Prof. Peiris said that the coal scam was three times bigger than the Treasury bond scams, perpetrated during the Yahapalana time (SF)
The Colombo High Court yesterday ordered that the case, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his grand-aunt Daisy Forrest Wickramasinghe, be recalled on June 10.
The case was taken up before High Court Judge Rashmi Singappuli.
At the hearing, State Counsel informed the court that a related case, on similar charges, had been filed before High Court No. 08. The court was further informed that a revised indictment has been directed to be filed in that case, necessitating the submission of a revised indictment in the present case as well.
State Counsel requested time to report on the progress of those proceedings.
Accordingly, the judge ordered that the case be called on June 10 and directed that progress be reported on that date.
The case pertains to three indictments filed by the Attorney General alleging that between March 31, 2009, and December 12, 2013, the accused had committed an offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act by depositing over Rs. 59 million in three private banks, the source of which could not be explained.
A three-judge bench of the Colombo Special High Court yesterday rejected a request by former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundera to introduce additional facts to a statement he had previously made from the dock.
Jayasundera is an accused in the case filed over alleged criminal negligence in failing to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, despite prior intelligence warnings.
The order was delivered by the bench, presided over by Justice Priyantha Liyanage.
Meanwhile, retired Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) Nandana Munasinghe and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in charge of the Eastern Province, Waruna Jayasundera, appeared before court as defence witnesses.
Opposition holds NPP Cabinet responsible for coal scam, three times bigger than bond fraud
Case against Yoshitha and Daisy Forrest postponed
Three-judge bench rejects request by ex-IGP Pujith
Johnston gets bail after four months
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Inadequate LPG price hike compels the vulnerable to subsidize the wealthy: Advocata Institute
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