News
Two financial institutions fined Rs. 3 mn
Penalties have been imposed on the Indian Bank and Amana Takaful Life PLC for non-compliance with the provisions of the FTRA (Financial Transactions Reporting Act, No. 6 of 2006).
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) announced the action taken in respect of the two institutions on the basis of investigations conducted by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) during November to December 2024 period. . The penalty may be prescribed by taking into consideration the nature and gravity of relevant non-compliance of the Institutions, the CBSL declared, adding that regulator for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), the FIU collected penalties amounting to Rs. 3 million in total from November to December 2024. The money collected as penalties has been credited to the Consolidated Fund.
Indian Bank has been fined Rs 2 mn for the failure of the Bank to adhere to the FTRA, and rules, regulations and directives issued thereunder as follows;
i. The Bank had failed to report several Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) transactions as of the examination date, where the amount of such transfers exceeded Rupees One Million (Rs. 1,000,000) or its equivalent in any foreign currency to the FIU, as required by the Financial Transactions Reporting Regulations, No. 1 of 2008 issued in terms of Section 6(b) of the FTRA.
ii. The Bank had failed to maintain updated lists of designated persons, groups and entities issued under United Nations Regulations, No. 1 of 2012 (United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1373), United Nations Regulations, No. 2 of Financial Intelligence Unit 27 March 2025 2 2012 (UNSCR 1267), and United Nations (Sanctions in relation to Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) Regulations of 2017 (UNSCR 1718) and incorporate the same into the Bank’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) system.
iii. Although the above lapses in systems and procedures were observed, instances of business relationships with designated individuals or entities maintained by the Bank were not revealed during the on-site examination.
Amana Takaful Life PLC has been fined Rs one mn for the failure of the company to adhere to the FTRA, and rules, regulations and directives issued thereunder as follows;
i. The Company had failed to maintain an updated complete list of designated persons, groups and entities issued under United Nations Regulations, No. 1 of 2012 (UNSCR 1373) by the Gazette Extraordinary, No. 2387/02 dated, June 03, 2024.
ii. The Company had failed to comply with the Rule 58 of the Insurers (Customer Due Diligence) Rules, No. 1 of 2019 (CDD Rules) to verify whether any customers, prospective customers or beneficiaries appear on any list of designated persons or entities issued under any regulation made in terms of the United Nations Act, No. 45 of 1968 with respect to any designated list on TFS, due to the below non-compliances. – The Company had failed to maintain designated lists of persons, groups and entities issued under the United Nations Regulations, No. 2 of 2012 (UNSCR 1267) and United Nations (Sanctions in Relation to Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) regulations of 2017 (UNSCR 1718). – The Company had failed to provide and maintain any reasonable record or evidence to show that the Company had conducted verification for its existing customer database against the updated designated list issued under UNSCR 1373 3 by the Gazette Extraordinary, No. 2387/02 dated June 03, 2024.
iii. Although the above lapses in systems and procedures were observed, instances of business relationships with designated individuals or entities maintained by the Company were not revealed during the on-site examination.
It has been reported quoting family sources that veteran singer Mariazelle Goonetilleke has passed away this morning (10) at the age of 68
She had been receiving treatment at the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital.
The wife of retired Major General Suresh Sallay has lodged a further complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), alleging that her husband’s fundamental rights continue to be violated as Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers prevent him from having confidential consultations with his lawyer while he is under detention at the National Hospital.
In a letter addressed to the HRCSL Chairman on Thursday, Mrs. S.B.M.S.B. Sallay has said the latest complaint was filed in relation to an earlier complaint concerning the detention and treatment of her husband.
Full text of the letter: I, Mrs. S.B.M.S.B. Sallay, respectfully write to lodge this further complaint in relation to my earlier complaint bearing reference H RC-HO-1 103-26, concerning the detention and treatment of my husband, Retired Major General Suresh Sallay.
I wish to bring to the attention of the Commission a further serious violation of his fundamental rights that occurred on 08 July 2026 during a consultation between my husband and his Attorney-at-Law, Mr. Asith Siriwardena, while my husband remains under detention and is receiving treatment at the National Hospital.
I am informed by his Counsel that he is presently permitted to consult with my husband only once a week for a period of approximately twenty minutes. During the consultation held on 08 July 2026, officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) stationed at the Cardiac Coronary Care Unit of the National Hospital informed Counsel that they had received instructions from higher authorities that my husband should not be permitted to meet with his
legal counsel in private. Consequently, the officers remained present throughout the consultation and refused to permit a confidential lawyer-client meeting.
This conduct constitutes a grave infringement of my husband’s fundamental right to communicate privately and confidentially with his legal counsel. Confidential communication between an accused or detainee and his lawyer is an indispensable safeguard of the right to legal representation, the right to prepare his defence, and the right to a fair trial. The denial of confidential legal consultations undermines these fundamental protections guaranteed under the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the applicable provisions governing persons detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
The confidentiality of communications between a lawyer and client is also a well-recognized principle under international human rights law and forms an essential safeguard against arbitrary detention, coercion, and unfair legal proceedings.
In view of the foregoing, I respectfully request the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka to urgently intervene and take all necessary steps within its statutory mandate to:
1. Ensure that my husband is afforded immediate and unrestricted confidential access to his legal counsel without the presence or supervision of law enforcement officers;
2. Inquire into the instructions allegedly issued by higher authorities requiring CID officers to remain present during lawyer-client consultations;
3. Direct the relevant authorities to cease any practice that interferes with confidential legal consultations; and
4. Take such further action as the Commission considers appropriate to safeguard my husband’s constitutional and human rights.
This complaint is made as a further complaint to Complaint No. H RC-HO-1103-26, and I respectfully request that it be placed on the same file and considered together with my previous complaints.
I respectfully seek the Commission’s urgent intervention in this matter.
The Supreme Court yesterday (9) upheld a Colombo Commercial High Court order directing former Minister Wimal Weerawansa to pay Rs. 1 million in damages to Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary Tilvin Silva for violating intellectual property rights.
A three-member Supreme Court bench dismissed in its entirety an appeal filed by Weerawansa challenging the earlier Commercial High Court ruling.
The case was instituted by Silva, who alleged that Weerawansa had violated provisions of the Intellectual Property Act by publishing his book “Neththa Wenuwata Aththa” (“Truth Instead of Lies”), which contained the JVP’s political ideology and official party documents without authorisation.
The Supreme Court also affirmed the order restraining the publication and distribution of the book in its existing form. However, the court ruled that the book could be republished if the 60-page section identified as infringing intellectual property rights was removed.
Sri Lankan singer Mariazelle Goonetilleke passes away at the age of 68
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