News

Sirisena: Some were banned from attending NSC meetings as he did not trust them

Published

6 years ago

2020/11/25

By Rathindra Kuruwita

President Maithripala Sirisena, yesterday, informed the PCoI investigating the Easter Sunday attacks that he had banned former IGP Pujith Jayasundara from the National Security Council (NSC,) ignoring the provisions of a gazette making the IGP’s presence compulsory at the NSC, because Jayasundara had breached his trust.

Sirisena said so during the cross-examination by Anura Meddegoda, PC appearing on behalf of the former IGP. Meddegoda brought the former President’s attention to the Gazette notification establishing the NSC. It lists the permanent members of the NSC.

According to the Gazette notification, the NSC shall consist of Secretary to the President, Defence Secretary, Heads of the Tri Forces, Chief of Defence Staff, IGP and the Director of State Intelligence Service (SIS).

Anura Meddegoda PC: “Earlier you said that as the President you could bring officials you trust to attend NSC meetings. Does the gazette say the President can do so?”

Sirisena: “It is not mentioned in the gazette notification, but the President can replace officials depending on circumstances. Trust is extremely important when governing a country.”

Meddegoda asked Sirisena whether the gazette notification listed out those who should attend the NSC and whether Sirisena, whilst being President was above the law.

“I was not above the law and I have always acted according to the law,” Sirisena responded.

Meddegoda said that the Supreme Court had ruled the removal of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Cabinet was unconstitutional.

The former President retorted that a leader had to consider things that were not written in law books when governing a country.

“So, you had worked beyond the country’s law?” Meddegoda asked.

“No, I worked according to the law,” Sirisena said.

Meddegoda questioned the former President’s decision not to conduct open inquiries on Islamic extremist activities.

The former President said that he had never taken such a decision and all the intelligence services including the SIS had to take the responsibility for not informing him of such threats posed by the Islamic extremists to the country.

Meddegoda asked, “As the President you always thought about the survival of the Yahapalana government, and you didn’t think about the country’s stability, did you?”

The former President said that the process of the yahapalana government collapsing had begun after the bond scams and he would have dissolved the Parliament at that time if he had been empowered to do so.

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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

6 mins ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

7 mins ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

8 mins ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.