By A.J.A. Abeynayake

The Colombo Magistrates’ Court was left with no alternative but to release individuals accused of corruption if the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) failed to follow court directives and continued to act dismissively, said Colombo Chief Magistrate Adithya Patabendige yesterday (25).

Magistrate Patabendige addressed those remarks to Asitha Anthony, Assistant Director General of CIABOC.

The Chief Magistrate noted that the court had previously instructed CIABOC to amend a charge sheet against a suspect because the same charge had been filed on two separate occasions. That directive had been issued after the court carefully reviewed the charge sheet and considered preliminary objections raised. If the CIABOC persisted in such high-handed manner, the court would release the suspects, he warned.

Magistrate Patabendige emphasised that the court had instructed the prosecution to amend charges when it became evident that the case could not proceed as it stood. He added that the prosecution was traditionally obliged to make the recommended amendments.

Former Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), Priyath Wickrama, along with R. Sanjaya Kumara Chandrasekera and Nihal Keppetipola, has been charged by CIABOC for allegedly causing a loss of Rs. 65 million to the government by employing 319 Ports Authority staff for election-related work during the 2015 Presidential Election. The case is scheduled to be heard again on 8 November 2024.

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha election is held today (26) to elect 29 local councillors.Chairman of the Election Commission, R.M.A.L. Ratnayake told The Island yesterday (25) that voting would take place from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Eight registered political parties and one independent group are contesting.

A total of 55,643 eligible voters are expected to cast their votes at 48 polling centres.

“Those who were eligible to vote according to the 2018 voter registry can participate in this election,” he explained.

“We issued ballot boxes and other materials on Friday morning. Although there has been no violence or significant breaches of election laws in the lead-up to the election, tight security is being maintained. We anticipate to announce the results by 10 p.m. on Saturday (26th),” said District Secretary of Galle W.A. Darmasiri.

Five hundred police officers have been deployed to provide security for today’s election.

By A.J.A. Abeynayake

A petition has been submitted to the Supreme Court seeking to prevent former MP Ranjan Ramanayake from contesting the 14 November General Election for the Gampaha District on the United Democratic Voice (UDV) ticket.

The petition has been filed by K .M. Mahinda Senanayake, a candidate for Gampaha, contesting as part of an independent group.

Senanayake has requested the Supreme Court to declare Ramanayake ineligible to vote and to hold a seat in Parliament.

Among those named as respondents in the petition are the Election Commission and its members, Ranjan Ramanayake, and the returning officer for the Gampaha District.

In January 2021, Ramanayake was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka for contempt of court. He was conditionally pardoned in 2022 by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, following his submission of an affidavit apologising to the Chief Justice and the court in full for

his remarks and pledging not to repeat such actions. Earlier this month, Ramanayake appealed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to restore his civic rights under Article 34(1) of the Sri Lankan Constitution, which authorises the President to pardon any person convicted by a Sri Lankan court.