The Colombo High Court yesterday postponed until July 9 the hearing of the money laundering case filed against Yoshitha Rajapaksa under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The case was taken up before High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga.

Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara informed court that a revision application filed by the defence had been taken up before the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka on June 3 and fixed for hearing on June 16.

He said that the complainant had informed the Court of Appeal that no evidence would be led in the High Court proceedings until the revision application was heard and determined, and requested that the case be adjourned without summoning witnesses.

Allowing the request, Judge Ranatunga postponed the case until July 9 and ordered the witnesses to appear in court on the next hearing date.

The Attorney General has filed indictments against Rajapaksa alleging that he acquired five plots of land valued at more than Rs. 73 million through unlawful means, thereby committing an offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.The case is scheduled to be called again on July 9.

More than one in five schoolchildren in Sri Lanka were affected by malnutrition, Secretary to the Ministry of Health Anil Jasinghe said yesterday, warning of a growing dual burden of undernutrition and obesity in the country.

Speaking at a media briefing held at the Health Promotion Bureau in Colombo on Wednesday to mark National Nutrition Month, Dr. Jasinghe said children suffering from early-life malnutrition were also at risk of developing obesity later in life.

Citing recent survey findings on children under and over the age of five, he said stunting stood at 10.1 percent while underweight prevalence was recorded at 16.1 per cent. Overweight levels among children remained relatively low at 0.5 percent.

“These figures indicate that nearly one-fifth of our children are affected by malnutrition,” he said, adding that malnourished children often transitioned into overweight and obese categories in adolescence and adulthood.

Dr. Jasinghe also pointed to rising obesity levels among adults, noting that 47 per cent of women and 30 per cent of men were currently affected.

He warned that if current trends continue, obesity rates could further escalate in the coming years, posing significant public health challenges.

Health officials say the findings underscore the need for urgent interventions to improve nutrition, dietary habits and early childhood health outcomes across the country.

A security guard attached to the National Water Supply and Drainage Board’s Gorakadeniya Water Treatment Plant has been arrested by Peradeniya Police after more than six kilos of cannabis were found inside the facility’s guard room.

The 25-year-old suspect, a resident of Gorakadeniya, was taken into custody following a targeted operation conducted by Peradeniya Police on 02 June based on intelligence received by Officer-in-Charge Chief Inspector Wijith Wijekoon.

During a search of the guard room, police officers recovered a bag containing approximately 6.1 kilos of cannabis, police said.

Investigators believe the suspect had been using the guard room as a storage location for narcotics.

Further inquiries revealed that the suspect had allegedly been engaged in distributing cannabis to various locations in the region using a motorcycle. Police said he had adopted a location-based delivery method to supply the narcotics to customers.

Authorities suspect that the individual had been involved in drug trafficking activities for a considerable period, and have obtained a detention order from court to facilitate further interrogation.

Police said the ongoing investigation is expected to uncover additional information regarding the suspect’s alleged links to a broader narcotics distribution network operating in the Peradeniya area.

The suspect is to be produced before court following the completion of preliminary investigations.

Peradeniya Police are conducting further inquiries.

By SK Samaranayake