news

Russia warns Lanka of Islamic extremists channeling funds to local counterparts

Published

4 months ago

2020/12/28

Russian Ambassador in Colombo Yury Materiy has warned that extremist Islamic terrorist organizations may channel funds to their Lankan counterparts on the pretext of extending COVID-19 aid.

The warning was issued by Ambassador Materiy when he met Minister of Public Security Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara at his ministry last week, the ministry sources said yesterday.

Sources said that Ambassador Materiy had told Minister Weerasekera that many extremist groups were moving funds for terror activities and had carried out such operations via the trade and trafficking of narcotics under the cover of humanitarian assistance for Muslim organisations and charities.

In response the Minister said that after the war a new strategy had been formulated by the then Sri Lankan government to increase the intelligence battalions from 3-7 and deported nearly 160 madrasa scholar leaders who under the guise of religious studies were spreading hate and extremist propaganda.

Unfortunately, the yahapalana government had dismantled the intelligence network. The new government had taken action to remedy the situation, he added.

The Ambassador lso inquired into the progress in investigations on Easter Sunday bomb attacks of 2019, and Minister Weerasekara responded stating that 267 suspects had been remanded after the 8 blasts and currently all criminal investigations had been completed and handed over to the Attorney general’s Department for further action.

The Russian Home Ministry continued to work closely with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ambassador said, adding that Russia was now a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Minister Weerasekara congratulated both President Vladimir Putin the President and the ambassador on Ruassia’s appointment.

In relation to the resolutions to be passed on Sri Lanka Minister Weerasekera reminded the Ambassador how the previous Secretary General of the United Nations violated the United Nations Charter by making unsubstantiated comments in regards to the Sri Lankan humanitarian operation at the closing stages of the Civil war. The Minister reminded the Ambassador that part of the resolution of 30/1 stated that a deliberate attempt had been taken by the Sri Lankan government to prevent much needed food and essential supplies from reaching the war affected.

The Minister went on to clearly and evidentially dismiss that claim.

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Six nabbed with over 100 kg of ‘Ice’

Published

3 days ago

2021/04/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

By Norman Palihawadane and Ifham Nizam

The Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) yesterday arrested six suspects in the Sapugaskanda Rathgahawatta area with more than 100 kilos of Crystal Methamphetamine also known as Ice.

Police Media Spokesman, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Ajith Rohana told the media that the PNB sleuths, acting on information elicited from a suspect in custody had found 91 packets of Ice.

A man in possession of 100 kilos of heroin was arrested in Modera during the weekend and revealed that a haul of Ice had been packed in plastic boxes.

The PNB seized more than 114 kilos of Ice from the possession of a single drug network.

According to the information elicited from the suspects, more than 100 kilos of Ice were found.

The PNB also arrested six persons including two women with 13 kilos of Ice, during an operation carried out in the Niwandama area in Ja-Ela on Sunday.

DIG Rohana said the ice had been packed in small plastic boxes and hidden in two school bags.

news

PM intervenes to iron out differences among coalition partners

Published

3 days ago

2021/04/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

By Norman Palihawadane

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said that he was confident that differences among the constituents of the SLPP coalition as regards the May Day celebrations and the next Provincial Council elections could be ironed out soon.

Leaders of all SLPP allied parties have been invited to a special meeting to be held at Temple Trees with the PM presiding on April 19.

Prime Minister Rajapaksa said it was natural for members of a political alliance to have their own standpoints and views on matters of national importance. “This is due to the different political ideologies and identities. It is not something new when it comes to political alliances world over. In a way, it shows that there is internal democracy within our alliance.

The PM said: “As a result of that the allied parties may express their own views on issues, but that does not mean there is a threat to the unity of the alliance. An alliance is more vibrant and stronger not when all the parties think on the same lines but when the member parties have different ideologies.”

news

Thilo Hoffman remembered

Published

3 days ago

2021/04/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

A copy of the book “Politics of a Rainforest: Battles to save Sinharaja” was handed over to Dominik Furgler, the Swiss Ambassador in Sri Lanka by the author of the book, Dr. Prasanna Cooray at the Swiss Embassy in Colombo last Tuesday, to be sent to the family of the late Thilo Hoffman in Switzerland.

Hoffman, a Swiss national, who made Sri Lanka his second home for six decades, was a pioneering environmental activist who led the battles to save Sinharaja from the front in the early 1970s, abreast with the likes of Iranganie Serasinghe, Kamanie Vitharana, Lynn De Alwis and Nihal Fernando of the “Ruk Rekaganno” fame. That was the era when the trees of Sinharaja were felled for the production of plywood by the then government. Hoffman was also a livewire of the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) for a long time. Hoffman died in 2014 at the age of 92.

The book includes a chapter on Thilo Hoffman.