News
Russia warns Lanka of Islamic extremists channeling funds to local counterparts
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.
Accepting deposits from political parties and independent groups who intend to contest the forthcoming Local Authorities Election ended at 12noon today [19].
Deposits were accepted at respective District Secretariats from 3rd March 2025.
The Elections Commission has announced that the deadline for the accepting of nominations for the LA poll is set to conclude at 12:00 noon tomorrow (20).
It has been reported that the former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon has appeared before the Matara Magistrate’s Court this morning (19),
The former IGP had been evading arrest after the Matara Magistrate’s court had ordered his arrest regarding a shooting incident that took place in front of the W15 Hotel Pelena, Weligama, Matara, in 2023.
The government has begun recovering funds obtained by former Lands and Land Development, Environment and Wildlife Resources Minister SM Chandrasena for the Janatha Lanka Chilli Marketing Limited (JLCML), which he headed, Parliament was informed yesterday.
Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation Minister Namal Karunaratne said that as the Chairman of JLCML, Chandrasena had obtained a loan of Rs. 1,275,000 from the Mihintale Govijana Seva Bank in 2001.
The principal of the loan had not been repaid until the end of last year. “After we came to power, we demanded that the loan be settled. Then, we discovered that the interest on the loan had not been paid for the past 24 years, and attempts had been made to have the loan written off. We stopped that and are now in the process of recovering the interest of Rs. 1,975,233 on the loan,” Karunaratne said.
Karunaratne added that JLCML was registered as a company with the Registrar of Companies on March 21, 2001. As Chairman of the company, Chandrasena requested a loan of Rs. 10 million on April 19, 2001, for the purpose of purchasing chillies from farmers in 12 farmer colonies in the Mihintale Agrarian Service area.
The request was approved by the Mihintale Agrarian Service Committee on the same day and referred to the Anuradhapura District Agrarian Operations Committee, which approved it on April 23, 2001. However, the Agriculture Development Commissioner General recommended that a loan of Rs. 1.2 million would suffice for this purpose. JLCML took the loan and failed to repay it until the end of last year. When the matter was raised, the principal was paid, and we are now in the process of recovering the interest that was not paid for the past 24 years,” Karunaratne added.
By Saman Indrajith
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