News

Probe into SJB MP’s alleged British citizenship held up: CJ’s intervention sought

Published

5 years ago

2021/12/11

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Civil society activist Oshala Herath has sought Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya’s intervention to expedite investigations into a complaint he lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Nov 1, 2020, as regards Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) lawmaker Diana Gamage being a British passport holder.

The SJB accommodated the former actress on its National List following the last parliamentary election in August 2020. MP Gamage has since switched her allegiance to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).

Diana Gamage served as the Chairperson of the Ranminitenne tele cinema village during the yahapalana administration.

In terms of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution enacted in 2015 foreign passport holders were not eligible to enter Parliament.

Herath said that he had written to the Chief Justice on 09 Dec. after having failed to convince those responsible, including the Parliament, to inquire into his complaint. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena should inquire into the accusation whether a British national functioned as a Member of Parliament here. Having served the then President Maithripala Sirisena’s media outfit, Herath contested Colombo at the last general election in August 2020 on the UNP ticket.

MP Gamage has repeatedly denied Herath’s accusations. The complainant said that the CID recorded his statement on Dec 26, 2020 only after he got in touch with Public Security Minister Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera. In his letter to CJ Jayasuriya, Herath quoted CID officers as having told him that his complaint as regards the MP being a British national is accurate. Herath quoted the CID further as having informed him on January 19, 2021 that following the conclusion of the inquiry the relevant report has been submitted to the Director, CID.

Responding to another query, Herath said that his Attorney-at-Law sought clarification as regards the status of the investigation from the then Director, CID Nishantha de Zoysa and was informed on March 04, 2021 that a ‘B’ report has been filed in respect of my complaint bearing 48037,1/21 at the Chief Magistrate’s court, Colombo.

According to Herath, through his Attorney-at-Law, he was able to obtain a certified copy of the said ‘B’ report on 27 April, 2021 though the case seemed to be sort of discarded.

Herath questioned the failure on the part of the CID to at least record MP Gamage’s statement over a year after he lodged a complaint with the CID. Herath said that the SLPP government’s much touted concept ‘One Country, One Law’ seemed irrelevant as the police were obviously not given a free hand to investigate.

Herath said that he provided copies of relevant documents, including his complaint to the Director, CID dated Nov 01. 2020 and the ‘B’ report to the CJ. In his letter to the CJ, Herath said that he lacked the wherewithal to proceed with the case and expected his intervention to ensure expeditious conclusion of the legal proceedings.

Herath pointed out that investigators appeared to have dropped the high profile case after having recorded statements from Deputy Controller, Immigration and Emigration Dinushan Ramawickrema, Controller (Visa) Immigration and Emigration Jinani Atukorala, Deputy Commissioner, Registrar of Persons Department Chalani Weerakoon, Former Treasury Secretary Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga, former Additional Secretary Ramani Padmaseeli Gunawardena , Additional District Registrar, Thimbirigasyaya Jivani Karunaratne, Divisional Secretariat, Dehiwala Mangalika Fernando and Grama Sevaka, Arangala.

Herath said that the CID in March this year informed the Colombo Magistrate’s court that information in that regard had been sought from the British High Commission in Colombo to proceed with the case. Herath said that the CID in its ‘B’ report clearly stated that on the basis of statements recorded from relevant officials, the suspect had violated two specific sections of 45 (1) of 1948 No 20 Immigrants and Emigrants Act and Amendments.

Herath asked whether MP Gamage received government protection as she switched sides and was engaged in a running battle with the SJB. Gamage has challenged in the Supreme Court an SJB move to expel her from the party over her voting with the SLPP parliamentary group on several contentious matters, particularly the Colombo Port City Economic Bill in Oct 2020.

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Oil price falls back to pre-Iran war levels

Published

7 hours ago

2026/06/25

Priyan

The price of oil has fallen to levels not seen since before the Iran war as traffic through the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route gradually resumes.

Global benchmark Brent crude briefly fell below $72.48 (£55) a barrel, the price it was at the day before the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on 28 February, before edging up to $73.23.

Energy prices have been on a wild ride since Iran responded to the strikes by effectively closing the strait, a critical waterway for oil and gas shipments.

The cost of crude has been moving sharply lower since the US and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 17 June which set out a 60-day period for negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear programme and other measures to end the war.

Representatives from the two sides met in Switzerland last weekend for talks to end the war, which resulted in the US partially lifting sanctions on Iranian oil exports.

The number of vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz has risen significantly since the MOU was signed, according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler.

Its latest data suggests 284 vessels have made the transit from 18 June, the day after the deal was signed, although that is is still well below the pre-conflict average of some 138 crossings each day.

The ships passing through the waterway in recent days include those carrying crude oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), fertiliser and other goods, Kpler told the BBC.

The US and Iran had also formed a “communication line” to prevent misunderstandings “with the aim of safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz”, mediators Qatar and Pakistan said in a joint statement on Monday.

There has been a “tremendous shift” with far more ships using the strait in recent days, said Dimitris Maniatis, the chief executive of Marisks, a maritime risk advisory firm working with ships stuck in the region.

A limited number of ships can cross a northern passageway with the permission of Iranian authorities, he said.

The US navy has also provided guidance for vessels to travel through a southern route that is safe from mines and other obstacles that has been laid out since the war, Maniatis said.

But the number of ships crossing the strait is still below levels seen before the war, when it was used by more than 100 ships a day.

Hundreds of ships still appear to be waiting in the Gulf.

A line chart showing how Brent crude oil prices have fluctuated since the USA and Israel attacked Iran on February 28th. The price rose rapidly above $80 from early March and peaked at just below $120 in April. The current rate as of 25 Jun 2026 is back down to below $80, similar to before the Iran war began.

Fuel prices at the pump rose sharply when the Iran war began, and now the focus is on how quickly they will fall.

“On the back of the lowest oil price since before the Iran war started, drivers should see the average price of petrol fall below 150p [a litre] in the next week or so,” said Simon Williams, head of policy at UK motoring group the RAC. He added the price of diesel “ought to go back under 160p.

Petrol peaked at 159.53p a litre on 28 May, according to the RAC, while diesel has fallen from a high of 191.54p on 15 April.

The average price of regular gasoline in the US has dropped to around $3.93 a gallon after reaching $4 a gallon in April, its highest since 2022, but is still well above pre-war levels.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered an investigation into major energy companies, accusing Shell, ExxonMobil and other firms of “gouging” drivers by not reducing fuel prices even as oil costs fell.

“Oil prices have come down so much and we are not seeing anything at the pump by comparison the way they should be,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

The American Petroleum Institute, which represents the oil and gas industry in the US, said fuel prices “don’t move in lockstep with crude oil”.

British energy firms have faced similar accusations of unfairly hiking petrol prices since the Iran war.

The UK competition watchdog said last month that there was no widespread evidence of this, adding that average profit margins were “broadly unchanged” between February and March

(BBC)

News

Representatives from the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce meet PM

Published

14 hours ago

2026/06/25

Priyan

Representatives from the ’The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce’ met with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on Wednesday [24th of June] at the Parliament premises.

During the meeting, discussions focused on the Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit 2026 (SLEIS 2026), which is scheduled to be held on 12 and 13 October 2026. Attention was also given to digitalization initiatives, the introduction of digital technologies in schools under new education reforms, and the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Sri Lanka’s education sector.

Representatives of the Chamber noted that the summit would serve as an important platform for encouraging both local and foreign investment, while also contributing to the shaping of the country’s future economic policies.

The meeting was attended by Krishan Balendra, Chairman of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce; Vinod Hirdaramani, Deputy Vice Chairman; Shiran Fernando, Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer; Aliki Perera, Deputy Secretary General and Chief Operating Officer; and Anagi Rodrigo-Weerasekera, Chief Economist and Head of Economic Intelligence, along with several other representatives.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

News

Progress of Housing Project for Malayagam Community families funded by India reviewed

Published

15 hours ago

2026/06/25

Priyan

A discussion to review the progress of the housing project under which 4,700 houses are being constructed for the Malayagam community with Indian assistance was held this afternoon (24) at the Presidential Secretariat under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff to the President, Prabath Chandrakeerthi.

Under this housing programme, 2,026 houses are to be provided to families identified by the National Building Research Institute (NBRI) as being at disaster risk. The remaining houses are expected to be allocated to eligible workers residing in the plantation sector.

Accordingly, the houses will be provided to Malayagam community families living on estates belonging to 22 Regional Plantation Companies, as well as estates under the State Plantations Corporation, Janawasama and Elkaduwa Plantations.

For the construction of each house, the Government of India has allocated Rs. 2.8 million, while the Government of Sri Lanka has contributed Rs. 400,000.

During the discussion, Chandrakeerthi instructed officials to ensure that the housing project is completed before the end of this year. He further directed that land identified for the construction of houses be released without delay and that the National Building Research Institute provide the necessary reports to identify suitable land for the project.

The housing project is being implemented jointly by the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, the National Housing Development Authority, the State Engineering Corporation and the Plantation Human Development Trust.

Among those present were Additional Secretary (Development) of the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, K. S. Wijayakeerthi; Director General (Engineering), N. D. N. Pushpakumara; Director General (Planning), W. A. K. S. Damayanthi; the Secretary General of the Planters’ Association; and officials from the National Housing Development Authority, the State Engineering Corporation, relevant institutions and plantation companies.

(PMD)