News
Public Security Minister: Prosecuting terror suspects laborious task, but process moving faster than in advanced countries
Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (retd.) Sarath Weerasekera yesterday said that it had taken the US 20 years to commence the legal process against the mastermind of Sept 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and France seven years to prosecute the mastermind of the November 2015 Paris attacks.
“We started the prosecution of the mastermind of the Easter Sunday attacks within two and a half years. Almost all that has to be done by the police have been completed. Yet, with regard to some individuals, investigations are in progress,” the Minister said speaking to journalists after declaring open the new police station at Malabe.
Weerasekera said Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith had made several statements and expressed his dissatisfaction over the pace of the prosecution process. “We have to accept his criticism because he is the one who represents the Catholic people, who has been immensely affected by the Easter Sunday terror attacks. The process is progressing and we cannot influence the legal process. But when compared to situations with regard to similar incidents in other countries we have done much better,” the Minister said.
“As of now cases are being heard in five High Courts against 32 persons involved in the Easter Sunday attacks. Among them are 24 main suspects including Naufer Moulavi and Jafoor Mama. The case is being heard in an expeditious manner at the request of the Attorney General, the Chief Justice appointed a special Trial-at-Bar to accelerate the process. The case is to be heard continuously, starting from this month.
“I think that we must be appreciative of the services rendered by the investigators to complete such a heavy load of work within two and a half years. The CID probed around 112,000 telephone calls. They have filed 23,700 charges. In addition, there are four reports in this regard; namely the reports by the Parliamentary Select Committee, Parliament Sectoral Oversight Committee, and the Presidential Commision of Inquiry. The Attorney General has to study them all to make sure that there would not be any discrepancy in testimonies otherwise the accused would avail themselves the advantage of such differences and win the case against them. It may take some time but I assure you that those responsible would not go Scott-free.”
Among those present were IGP CD Wickramaratne and Western Province Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
INS Sahyadri sets sail from Colombo
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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