News
Suspension of printing of ballot paper: EC urged to question Govt. Printer
By Saman Indrajith
The JVP-led NPP yesterday called on the National Elections Commission to summon the Government Printer, Gangani Liyanage, and to inquire from her who had asked her to suspend the printing of ballot papers for the March 09 local council polls.
Addressing the media at the party headquarters, former JVP MP and NPP national executive Committee Member Sunil Handunnetti said: “We have information she was summoned to the President’s House and pressured to stop printing ballot papers. This is an undue influence on a public official. We call on the Government Printer to stand against these pressures and work for the benefit of the people.”
“The process of printing ballot papers and other material for the election has abruptly been suspended owing to pressure and influence. We call on the Government Printer not to succumb to political pressure and act in the interests of the people. We also call on the Elections Commission to summon her and question her on these pressures. We checked this issue and found that the Department of Government Printing has not suspended any other work. Printing of other materials is in progress without any problem. Only the printing of ballot papers has been suspended. The Department has a special team of workers for this purpose. The reason that has been given is an issue of not having funds for making additional payments and overtime payments for the workers involved in printing the ballot papers. It is a known fact that such payments are paid very much later. There has been no procedure of making such payments in advance. These workers receive their monthly salaries and overtime payments as usual. There is no valid reason for this suspension, except for undue pressure from those who want to put off the elections, in fear of losing it,” Handunnetti said.
He said that the Government Printer was a public official and she has to give priority to the public interest. “The entire nation wants the elections held on time. The Supreme Court has given its approval and created an environment conducive for that. The Department of Government Printing should now act accordingly as per the guidelines set by the National Elections Commission. It is a punishable offence to act otherwise. The Government Printer’s responsibility is to the people as she is paid from public money. She should keep in her mind that it is always better to act according to the law rather than going against the interests of the people,” Handunnetti said.
NPP National Ex-co member Attorney-at-Law Janaka Adhikari also addressed the press.
The Opposition yesterday called for the entire Cabinet-of-Ministers to accept responsibility for the coal scam. Addressing the media at the Flower Road Office of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, former Foreign Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris emphasised that Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody’s resignation, in the wake of the damning report issued by the National Audit Office (NAO), has now implicated the entire Cabinet-of-Ministers.
Prof. Peiris asserted that Jayakody, who had been indicted in the Colombo High Court over alleged corruption, during the Yahapalana administration, stepped down after the NPP failed to suppress the truth on the coal scam.
The ex-Minister declared that Jayakody’s resignation, the first since the formation of new government, with a super majority in Parliament, was a devastating setback for the current dispensation.
The internationally recognised legal scholar said that a future government would move courts against the entire NPP Cabinet. Referring to the NAO report submitted to Parliament, Prof. Peiris emphasised that there was absolutely no ambiguity regards allegations directed at the Energy Ministry. The NAO report proved that the Indian company, Trident Champhar, that won the major contract, didn’t even have the required registration.
Prof. Peiris said that the coal scam was three times bigger than the Treasury bond scams, perpetrated during the Yahapalana time (SF)
The Colombo High Court yesterday ordered that the case, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his grand-aunt Daisy Forrest Wickramasinghe, be recalled on June 10.
The case was taken up before High Court Judge Rashmi Singappuli.
At the hearing, State Counsel informed the court that a related case, on similar charges, had been filed before High Court No. 08. The court was further informed that a revised indictment has been directed to be filed in that case, necessitating the submission of a revised indictment in the present case as well.
State Counsel requested time to report on the progress of those proceedings.
Accordingly, the judge ordered that the case be called on June 10 and directed that progress be reported on that date.
The case pertains to three indictments filed by the Attorney General alleging that between March 31, 2009, and December 12, 2013, the accused had committed an offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act by depositing over Rs. 59 million in three private banks, the source of which could not be explained.
A three-judge bench of the Colombo Special High Court yesterday rejected a request by former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundera to introduce additional facts to a statement he had previously made from the dock.
Jayasundera is an accused in the case filed over alleged criminal negligence in failing to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, despite prior intelligence warnings.
The order was delivered by the bench, presided over by Justice Priyantha Liyanage.
Meanwhile, retired Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) Nandana Munasinghe and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in charge of the Eastern Province, Waruna Jayasundera, appeared before court as defence witnesses.
Opposition holds NPP Cabinet responsible for coal scam, three times bigger than bond fraud
Case against Yoshitha and Daisy Forrest postponed
Three-judge bench rejects request by ex-IGP Pujith
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