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Naufer Easter Sunday carnage mastermind -Public Security Minister
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The mastermind of the Easter Sunday attacks was Naufer Moulavi, a mentor of NTJ leader Zahran Hashim, Minister of Public Security, Dr. Sarath Weerasekera said yesterday, when asked by a journalist whether there had been a foreign hand behind the attacks. Former Jamaat-e-Islami leader, Rasheed Hajjul Akbar too had played a main role, the Minister said.
The Minister said so at a press briefing in Colombo on the future of the report on the PCoI on the Easter carnage.
Weerasekera also said that there was no concrete evidence to prove that Pulasthini Rajendran alias Sarah Jasmine, the wife of Atchchi Muhammadu Muhammadu Hastun, who detonated a suicide bomb at St. Sebastian’s Church, Katuwapitiya on 21 April 2019, had escaped to India.
A journalist told the Minister that during the sittings of the PCoI on the attacks several key witnesses had said there was a foreign involvement in the attacks; some witnesses said they had seen Sara a few months after the attacks and a policeman had been arrested on the allegations that he had helped Sara escape to India.
However, the Minister said that they was no concrete evidence to suggest Sara was alive, although according to the DNA tests, Sara was not among those killed at a Jihadist safe house at Sainthamaruthu on April 26, 2019.
“There were so many body parts there and we must test all of them again to determine whether she was not died there. We have not done a second batch of DNA testing,” Minister Weerasekera said.
The Public Security Minister said that the Attorney General had been given files on 32 suspects for legal action to be instituted; eight more files containing police investigations on each of the attack sites had also been sent. The Attorney General would file cases against suspects of the Easter Sunday.
Weerasekera said that the AG had to study a large volume of documents. The Police had sent eight files on each of the Easter Sunday attack sites to the AG about two months back, he said.
“Those files run into thousands of pages. The PCoI report contains about 100,000 pages. The AG has to go through everything. The AG has appointed a team of 12 lawyers, and they are studying all these documents. They might also have to ask the police to do further investigations. This is not an easy task. In the US and India, some terror suspects have not been charged for years. Time is needed to build a sold case,” he said.
Minister of Mass Media, Keheliya Rambukwella toldthe media said that Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith had demanded legal action against those named in the PCoI report.
Rambukwella said that the government couldn’t decide whom to be prosecuted. The PCoI had made recommendations and the AG had the responsibility to implement them.
Journalists then asked the Minister whether the government would initiate legal action against former President Maithripala Sirisena, who is the head of a constituent party of the government. On Sunday, Cardinal Ranjith specifically asked the government to take legal action against Sirisena.
“We don’t intervene in these matters. The AG will decide,” Minister Rambukwella said.
Journalists also asked Minister Weerasekera whether action would be taken against policemen whose lapses had contributed to the attacks. The Cardinal too raised concerns about a top policeman in the Central Province named in the PCoI report.
Minister Weerasekera said that he had instructed the IGP to hold a disciplinary inquiry and take action against policemen who were still in the service.
“The Cardinal is happy with the work the police have done. There is a delay because the AG has to study all documents and build a strong case.”
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US pledges unwavering support for Sri Lanka’s Anti-Corruption Drive
The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Mr. Donald Lu expressed the United States government’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s on-going anti-corruption initiatives as needed during a meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat today (07).
Mr. Lu stated that the US is prepared to provide financial and technical assistance to strengthen Sri Lanka’s security and economy. He also emphasized the US government’s willingness to offer technical expertise to help recover funds that were illegally taken out of the country, as part of Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption program.
The discussion highlighted the US government’s appreciation for the new administration’s prioritization of key political, economic, and social challenges. Mr. Lu reaffirmed US support for safeguarding Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, speaking at the event, highlighted that Sri Lanka’s political culture significantly influences corruption and waste. He emphasized that efforts are underway to reduce these issues by fostering a new and improved political culture.
The President also spoke about initiatives to uplift rural living standards through improvements to the rural economy and efforts to establish a modern civil service by enhancing the quality of public services.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Anil Jayantha Fernando, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Ms. Julie Chung, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia Ms. Anjali Kaur, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia and the Pacific at the U.S. Department of Treasury Mr. Robert Kaproth, USAID Mission Director Gabriel Grau and Counsellor for Political and Economic Affairs Ms. Shawn Gray, among others.
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Atkinson hat-trick, Bethell 96 highlight England’s day of dominance
England have not won a Test series in New Zealand since 2007-08 but they are surely within sight of breaking that drought after a day of utter dominance at Basin Reserve. It was littered with landmarks and milestones: Gus Atkinson’s hat-trick, Jacob Bethell’s highest first-class score, Joe Root reaching 50 in a Test innings for the 100th time. With three days left in the game, New Zealand already face being set a record fourth-innings chase.
Having wrestled their way into the ascendency on a topsy-turvy opening day, they pinned New Zealand to the canvas from the outset. Atkinson and Brydon Carse utilised what juice remained in the pitch to blow through the last five New Zealand wickets, securing a 155-run lead on first innings. Bethell and Ben Duckett then thrashed 187 runs in partnership to put England in a seemingly impregnable position just five sessions into the Test.
Bethell’s contribution was bittersweet, as he fell four runs short of a first hundred in any format. He nevertheless confirmed the range of his talent, in his second Test and batting at No. 3 for only the fourth time. He drove the scoreboard on after Zak Crawley had fallen in the second over – dismissed by Matt Henry for the fourth innings in succession – and outscored his partner during a free-flowing stand that went at more than 5 an over.
Nathan Smith bore the brunt of their initial onslaught, Bethell twice hooking him into the crowd and also proving strong on the drive. He survived when slashing Smith between keeper and slip, with Daryl Mitchell stood wide, on the way to a 52-ball half-century, and was not afraid to chance his arm as the second-wicket pair cemented England’s position.
Only on entering the 90s for the second time in his first-class career, and having copped a blow from a Will O’Rourke short ball the over before, did Bethell betray signs of nerves. A skied pull off Tim Southee landed in no-man’s land, before he nearly chopped on next ball. Four dabbed through third took him within range of a memorable Test century only to be caught behind aiming an expansive drive.
England’s lead was already past 350 and although Duckett, who was dropped by Tom Blundell down the leg side on 22, also failed to convert after a busy innings ended with a deflection on to his stumps off Southee, there was no let up for the home side after tea as Root and Harry Brook added 95 in untroubled fashion. Brook brought up his sixth 50-plus score in seven Test innings against New Zealand, before holing out off the bowling of Glenn Phillips, while Root also bobbed along to another half-century and into ratified company.
After Ollie Pope fell cheaply, Ben Stokes strode out and threw the bat for another fifty partnership from just 39 balls, suggesting that a declaration may not be far away. While New Zealand have achieved some great escapes in recent memory, not least when the man who now coaches England, Brendon McCullum, helped them to amass 680 for 8 against India at this ground a decade ago, and their pitches have a habit of flattening out, there’s no doubt they were deep in the hole.
One measure of how the day had gone for New Zealand was that their five-man attack managed to bowl zero maidens. Another was that none of their remaining batters faced more than Phillips’ 16 balls as they were steamrollered during the morning session.
Atkinson took the plaudits, having become the first man to take a Test hat-trick at Basin Reserve. It was the latest accolade in a stunning start to the 26-year-old’s Test career, less than six months on from claiming a 12-wicket haul on debut. It made him the seventh player to record a ten-for, a hundred (achieved against Sri Lanka, in fifth appearance) and a hat-trick, and in only his 10th Test – well ahead of the next-quickest, Irfan Pathan (26 matches).
Both Atkinson and Carse claimed four-fors as New Zealand collapsed inside 45 minutes of the morning session. After Kane Williamson’s 37 on day one, no other New Zealand batter made it to 20.
Brief scores:
England 280 and 378 for 5 (Joe Root 73*, Ben Stokes 35*) lead New Zealand 125 (Gus Atkinson 4-31, Brydon Carse 4-46) by 533 runs
(Cricinfo)
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The government’s aim is to bring about a new transformation in the country, grounded in research, evidence, and data. – Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasized the government’s commitment to reshaping the nation’s trajectory during her address at the Digital Library Conference 2024, organized by the National Science Foundation and held on Friday [6th of December] at the Colombo Medical College.
While addressing the audience the Prime Minister stated “We believe that investment in research and development is critical for the government’s development agenda. Our aim is to redirect the country onto a new path, one based on research, evidence, and data, rather than continuing in the same direction as the past 75 years.
One of the greatest challenges we’ve faced in recent years is that, particularly at the highest levels of decision-making, choices are often not informed by science, evidence, or data. This must change. Moving forward, it is essential that decision-makers and the research community collaborate more closely to ensure informed and effective governance, prime minister further added.
The event was attended by the Chairman of the National Science Foundation, Professor Saman Seneweera, Director General Dr. Sepalika Sudasinghe, Head of the National Science Library Resource Center, Manjula Karunaratne, and a group of researchers, librarians and scholars.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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