News
Legal avenues explored to bring back Mahendran, aka Harjan Alexander
Authorities are examining available legal avenues to bring former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran back to Sri Lanka after efforts to extradite him from Singapore encountered a legal barrier, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala has said.
Speaking during a television programme earlier this week, Wijepala said Mahendran, who is now a Singapore citizen, was residing in Singapore and had changed his name.
“There is a legal barrier in extraditing him to this country,” the Minister said, adding that authorities were exploring other available legal avenues.
Proceedings relating to the Central Bank bond case were continuing, Wijepala said.
According to information received by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Mahendran changed his name to Harjan Alexander after the CID sought an Interpol Red Notice for his arrest.
Singapore had previously rejected Sri Lanka’s extradition request for Mahendran, stating that the request did not meet the legal requirements under Singapore’s Extradition Act.
Mahendran, who served as Central Bank Governor from January 2015 to June 2016, is wanted in connection with legal proceedings arising from the Central Bank bond transactions. He was indicted in June 2019 before the Permanent High Court at Bar for allegedly causing losses of more than US$11 million to the State.
Wijepala also said authorities had secured 236 Interpol Red Notices in efforts to bring wanted suspects back to Sri Lanka. Of these, 110 had been obtained since the present Government assumed office.
He said 66 wanted individuals had been brought back to Sri Lanka, while investigations into another 97 were continuing. The whereabouts of 39 individuals had been identified, he added.
One more wanted suspect was expected to be brought back to Sri Lanka next week, the Minister said.
The High Court has convicted 14 of the 24 men accused of being directly involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 279 people.
The three-judge bench read out its decision on Tuesday after a five-year trial and said sentencing would take place later, the AFP news agency reported.
The charges included murder and conspiracy to commit terrorism.
Nine others were acquitted, while another defendant was found guilty of only some of the charges, the court said.
[Aljazeera]
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The ruling NPP yesterday (21) dismissed claims of a widening rift, within the government, over the proposed 22nd Amendment. Asked whether the NPP was concerned over a section of the Opposition alleging Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and two dozen MPs taking a view contrary to that of the party in this regard, authoritative party sources said some persons were propagating speculation for their own interest.
Declaring that there was absolutely no issue regarding the controversial Amendment, sources emphasised once it was tabled in Parliament, it would be passed with 2/3 majority.
Sources dismissed claims that out of its 159-member parliamentary group a section of NPPers was opposed to the government move. According to an influential Opposition activist, there are 57 JVPers and 66 NPPers in the government group and the rest contested the last parliamentary polls, having aligned with the JVP.
Ministerial sources told The Island that the government was confident of going ahead with the 22nd Amendment and Judicature (Amendment) Bills. Sources said that the NPP was not bothered about the Opposition protests in and outside Parliament.
Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne is expected to disclose the confidential ruling that he received from the Supreme Court in respect of more than 65 petitions for and against the 22nd Amendment and Judicial Amendment Bills. The enactment of the 22nd Amendment would pave the way for extending the retirement age of Supreme Court judges, from 65 to 67 years, and Court of Appeal judges, from 63 to 65 years.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Court of Appeal Judge Mayadunna Sri Mevan Anthony Edirimannasuriya Corea as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal.
The appointment has been made as President’s Counsel Nalin Rohantha Abeysuriya, who currently serves as President of the Court of Appeal, will be overseas until the 24th.
Accordingly Justice Mayadunna Corea was sworn in as Acting President of the Court of Appeal before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential secretariat last morning (21).
Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake was also present at the occasion.
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Showers about 100mm will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara Districts
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