News
Sallay’s wife asks Catholic Church not to name her husband as terror mastermind
Manori, wife of Maj. General Suresh Sallay, held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), since 25 February, 2026, has appealed to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and senior members individually, including Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, to refrain from naming her husband as the alleged mastermind of the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks before the conclusion of the judicial proceedings.
Mrs Sallay also appealed to them to encourage that all public discourse surrounding the issue at hand reflected the Church’s unwavering commitment to justice, compassion, allowing the judiciary to determine the truth solely on the basis of evidence placed before them. She also complained about the position taken by the Church, particularly some spokesmen whom she named as Rev. Father Cyril Gamini Fernando and Rev. Father Jude Rohan Silva for advancing unsubstantiated allegations that he husband was the mastermind, in spite of the judicial proceedings remaining ongoing.
Having explained the conditions he had been held, before being moved to the National Hospital, Manori Sallay said: “Justice requires not only that investigations be fair and impartial, but that they must also be manifestly seen to be fair and impartial. Public confidence in the administration of justice is inevitably undermined when those whose own actions and omissions have been questioned in relation to the same tragic events are entrusted with investigating another individual connected with those events.”
She added: “It deeply concerns us that while these serious questions regarding institutional accountability remain unresolved, public attention has instead been directed almost exclusively towards portraying my husband as the alleged mastermind. This risks diverting attention away from legitimate questions of accountability while placing the entire burden of public blame upon one individual before any court has examined the evidence.
Mrs Sallay also brought to the notice of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference the torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment her husband was subjected to in the hands of the CID.
The Sri Lanka Navy rescued a fisherman from a local fishing trawler that encountered distress due to adverse weather conditions off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka.
The rescue operation took place on 17 July 2026, approximately 15 nautical miles off Pothuvil. The operation was launched following information received by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo.
In response, the Sri Lanka Navy deployed the Offshore Patrol Vessel SLNS Vijayabahu along with additional craft to conduct a search operation in the designated sea area, where they successfully located the distressed fisherman.
Following the rescue, the individual was brought aboard SLNS Vijayabahu, where naval personnel administered preliminary first aid. He was subsequently brought to the mainland and rushed for further medical attention.
Meanwhile, the Navy, along with the coordination of MRCC Colombo, remains constantly prepared to swiftly respond to the eventualities faced by maritime and fishing communities operating within the island’s Search and Rescue Region (SRR).
The countrywide dengue outbreak has intensified, with the death toll rising to 50, by July 16, as the number of reported infections surpassed 73,000, according to the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU).
The country has recorded 73,455 dengue cases so far this year, with the case fatality rate standing at 0.07 percent, highlighting the severity of the ongoing outbreak.
The Western Province continues to remain the worst affected region, accounting for more than half of the total cases, with 38,700 infections. The Gampaha District has recorded the highest number of cases in the province with 15,341, followed closely by Colombo with 14,625.
The Southern Province has reported 11,382 cases, while the Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces have each recorded more than 6,000 infections.
Dengue cases have shown a sharp increase in recent months, with June recording the highest monthly total of 21,538 cases, while July has already reported 18,076 infections. In comparison, 8,590 cases were reported in May, and 5,651 in April.
Health authorities have identified 175 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas as high-risk locations during the 27th epidemiological week. An average of 2,677 new dengue cases are being reported daily, prompting authorities to intensify prevention and mosquito control measures.
The Colombo High Court yesterday (17) resumed hearing the money laundering case filed against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The proceedings were held before High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga, where evidence was recorded from prosecution witnesses, under the direction of Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara.
President’s Counsel Sampath Mendis, appearing for Yoshitha Rajapaksa, cross-examined the witnesses during the hearing.
After recording evidence, the court ordered that further examination of evidence be postponed until July 24.
The Attorney General has filed indictments, alleging that Yoshitha Rajapaksa committed an offence, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, by purchasing five plots of land in Dehiwala and Ratmalana, valued at more than Rs. 73 million.
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Showers may occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle and Matara districts
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