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Lanka police receive training at India’s National Investigation Agency

A group of Sri Lankan police officers are undergoing training at the National Investigation Agency (NIA). According to a statement issued by the Indian High Commission in Colombo, a batch of 23 senior police officers recently left for New Delhi to attend a specially designed two-week course, starting on 18 June. Currently they are undergoing training at NIA in various subjects such as terror financing, internal security dynamics, Islamic and other religious fundamentalism, etc.
The following is the text of the statement issued by the HC in this regard: On the request of the Sri Lanka Police, the High Commission of India has been facilitating tailor-made capacity building training courses for the personnel of the Sri Lankan Police at the premier police training institutions viz. Central Detective Training Institute (CDTI), Jaipur; CDTI, Hyderabad; CDTI, Kolkata and National Security Guard (NSG), Manesar in India.
India regularly offers fully-funded training slots to Sri Lankan Police personnel for various training courses to enhance the skills of the officers. Since the beginning of 2024, over 60 police personnel, including junior, mid-level and senior officers, have benefited from the high-quality training courses on various subjects, such as crime scene management, artificial intelligence and cybercrime investigation, and VIP security training. These courses are offered by the Government of India (GoI) under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) and the “Aid to Sri Lanka” programme. More than 130 Sri Lankan police officers are expected to be trained in India this year.”
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SME representatives accuse presidential aide of instigating protest against Central Bank

A presidential advisor, identified as D. Gamage, had asked a delegation representing the SME sector to “surround the Central Bank” instead of troubling officers at the Presidential Secretariat, Susantha Liyanaarachchi, Chairman of the National Construction Association of Sri Lanka (NCASL) told the media yesterday near the Presidential Secretariat.
Liyanaarachchi said so following a meeting with Gamage, on Friday, during a protest staged by a group of small- and medium-scale entrepreneurs, affiliated with the MSME Joint Alliance, outside the Presidential Secretariat against parate executions.
Five representatives were permitted to enter the Secretariat, where they also submitted a 17-point proposal aimed at reviving the domestic coconut oil industry.
“Gamage said there was no point in coming to the Presidential Secretariat. He asked us to surround the Central Bank. What an awful officer. We came here to settle our issues amicably, and Gamage told us to surround the Central Bank,” Liyanaarachchi said.
Liyanaarachchi also stated that the Central Bank did not adhere to instructions given by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, exacerbating the concerns voiced by the MSME entrepreneurs.
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Govt. to seek new indictments in Lasantha murder case

By Saman Indrajith
The government would try to initiate fresh indictments in the Lasantha Wickrematunga murder case, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya said on Friday, pledging that those responsible for the murder of journalist Wickrematunga would be held accountable. She also stated that she intended to respond personally to a letter from Wickrematunga’s daughter, Ahimsa, who has called on Parliament to impeach Attorney General Parinda Ransinghe (Jr.) over the recent release of three suspects.
Ahimsa Wickrematunga’s request for impeachment followed the release of several individuals—among them a police officer—who had been arrested on accusations of destroying evidence, including a notebook belonging to her father and key police records. Speaking in Parliament, Prime Minister Amarasuriya said, “I plan to respond directly to Ms Wickrematunga, as I fully understand her concerns and the distress she must be experiencing. We are doing our utmost to observe due process and uphold the independence of the Attorney General’s office, but justice must prevail.”
She went on to say, “We intend to seek justice for Lasantha Wickrematunga’s murder. President [Dissanayake] has met with those involved to determine the best course of action. We are examining the possibility of refiling or initiating new inquiries if necessary, as there is plenty of evidence.”
Opposition legislator Rauff Hakeem noted that the suspects were released on a technicality related to an identification parade, and expressed concern that the Attorney General was selectively releasing certain suspects, despite there being many dedicated officers within the Department. He added, “Ultimately, the purpose of all our judicial institutions is to deliver justice. If procedures obstruct that aim, we must re-examine them.”
Prime Minister Amarasuriya reiterated that the Government is open to debating the matter in Parliament, saying, “We will look at refiling charges or bringing new indictments where appropriate. We fully appreciate the gravity of this situation and the need for transparency, and we will do everything in our power to ensure justice is served.”
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Govt.’s planned buffer stock of rice a pipedream, say millers

The private sector is purchasing paddy at prices higher than the government’s guaranteed rates, meaning the government will be unable to secure the planned buffer stock, according to the President of the All Ceylon Small and Medium Scale Mill Owners’ Association, U. K. Semasinghe. He made these remarks on Thursday during a talk show hosted by Hiru TV.
Semasinghe noted that although the government’s guaranteed price for Nadu was Rs 120 per kilo, the private sector paid Rs. 125. During the programme, the Hiru TV presenter mentioned that Dudley Sirisena, who owns Araliya Mills, had stated that if he purchased a kilogramme of paddy at Rs 120 rupees, he would have to sell a kilo of rice at Rs. 242.
However, Semasinghe explained that if small millers bought paddy at Rs 125 per kilogramme, they could sell a kilo of rice at Rs 225. He added: “In the coming two or three weeks, you will see rice produced by small and medium-scale millers available in the market at prices ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 205 per kilo.”
Meanwhile, former Director of Agriculture K.B. Gunaratne, who also participated in the show, commented that the NPP government lacked the experience, and therefore had failed to formulate an effective strategy to address the issue.
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