News

SJB asks why crucial evidence denied to state prosecutor

Published

2 years ago

2021/03/3

… alleges cover-up

Samagi Jana Balavegaya heavyweight Lakshman Kiriella, MP, yesterday told The Island that the Attorney General shouldn’t be denied access to any information pertaining to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) report on the Easter carnage, as he was the chief law officer of the state.

The former minister was responding to the AG’s department announcement that 22 volumes wouldn’t be released to it due to national security reasons.

Lawmaker Kiriella said that the refusal to hand over 22 of 87 volumes received from the PCoI had exposed the incumbent government. The former UNPer pointed out that the government went to the extent of denying the AG’s Department perhaps the most crucial information relating to the Easter Sunday carnage.

Responding to another query, the MP alleged that the government was planning a cover-up. As the AG had been denied the relevant volumes, the parliament, too, was certain to be deprived of the opportunity to examine them, the MP said, adding that the Opposition would fight for the disclosure of hidden volumes

Kiriella questioned the rationale in the person tasked with prosecuting perpetrators of the heinous crime denied vital evidence. “If the AG was deprived of such crucial information, who can use evidence gathered by the P CoI.” (SF)

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Stay on course and don’t go back to the past – Dr Indrajit Coomaraswamy

Published

5 hours ago

2023/03/24

Priyan

Former Governor of the Central Bank delivering the keynote address at a high profile Webinar hosted by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka today (24) said that Sri Lanka must implement the structural reforms proposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) without relaxing like in the past or else we will be in a deeper economic mess.

The webinar was titled ‘What is next for Sri Lanka in the wake of the IMF programme’

News

Sustainable economic development goals cannot be achieved unless attention is paid to mitigating climate change – Sagala Ratnayake

Published

5 hours ago

2023/03/24

Priyan

President’s Senior Adviser on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayake said sustainable economic development goals cannot be accomplished without taking steps to mitigate climate change.

He said this while participating in the 10,000 sapling planting program organized by the LEO Youth Vision 2048 Club and the LEO Club at the Royal College, Colombo on Thursday (23rd).

This program was organized in view of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s birthday, which is today (24), and the required plants were distributed to the main schools of the Colombo District.

News

SF claims thousands of police and military personnel leaving

Published

17 hours ago

2023/03/24

Thilina Walpola

By Saman Indrajith

Thousands of police and military personnel had left the services recently as they did not want to carry out illegal orders, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka told Parliament yesterday. According to the war-winning army commander 200 policemen have resigned during the past two months and 25,000 soldiers have left the army during the last two years.

“We urged the law enforcement and military officials not to follow illegal orders. We will reinstate them with back pay,” he said.

Fonseka also urged the President and the government MPs not to take people for fools.

“Sri Lanka owes 55 billion dollars to the world. Ranil’s plan is to borrow another seven billion during the next four years. So, in four years we will owe 62 billion to the world.

Ranil and his ministers ask us what the alternative to borrowing is. These are the people who destroyed the economy and society. They must leave. Then, we will find an alternative and develop the country,” he said, adding that the IMF loans had made crises in other nations worse.

“Ranil says that by 2025, we will have a budget surplus as in Japan, Germany and South Korea. These countries are economic power houses, and this comparison is ludicrous.”