Wanshappriya winner of the men’s standard race
Sri Lanka under-19 set to wrap up Test series
Under 16 boys’ singles reaches round of 32
Daniel’s 155 helps Sri Lanka to 307 for four
Amameth sets the stage for Colombo North’s final win
Government and UNDP map out SDG investment for private sector to support recovery
Stock investors welcome interim budget; turnover hits Rs. 4.3 billion
‘Elephant House SuperHeroes Powered by Dialog’ hosts grand finale
Chrissworld rings the bell to celebrate their achievement after being listed on the CSE Empower Board
Combank.lk becomes top ‘Banking and Finance’ website in Sri Lanka
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By Chitra Weerarathne
Colombo High Court Judge Aditya Patabendige yesterday served the second bribery or corruption indictment on SLPP Parliamentarian Johnston Fernando.
The charge is pertaining to the deployment of CWE employees for political work in 2012.
The accused was granted two surety bail of five million rupees each.
The accused was ordered to report to the Investigative unit of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on the last Sunday of every month.
Fernando has been banned from travelling overseas.
The CIABOC has filed five indictments against Kurunegala District SLPP MPJohnston Fernando.
President’s Counsel Kalinga Indatissa appeared for Fernando.
The next date of this case is 26 October.
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Sajith tears into govt. over mega corrupt deal
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By Shamindra Ferdinando
Kegalle District MP Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, strongly denied accusations that in his capacity as the then Minister of Power and Renewable Energy, during the yahapalana administration (2015-2019), thousands of persons had been absorbed illegally into cadre of the cash-strapped Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).
MP Siyambalapitiya stressed that he had not recruited a single person without the approval of the Department of Management Services of the Finance Ministry. Ravi Karunanayake and the late Mangala Samarawaeera held the finance portfolio during the UNP-led yahapalana administration. The SLFP was the junior partner.
The SLFPer said so when The Island sought his response to the accusations made by Kegalle District SJB MP Kabir Hashim and incumbent Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera, in Parliament, on Monday (Aug 29).
Lawmaker Hashim alleged that those who sought to secure the parliamentary seat, and certain political parties that followed political agendas at the expense of the national economy, ruined the CEB. The former UNP Chairman accused them of having clandestine deals with the CEB’s top management, as well as trade unions. All of them should accept responsibility for the current crisis as they quite conveniently failed to introduce much required reforms, the one -time Petroleum Minister alleged.
A smiling Wijesekera reminded Hashim that the one who recruited the largest group of workers, too, represented the Kegalle district. MP Hashim hit back pointing out that the person the minister referred to is on the government side now.
They were referring to Ranjith Siyambalapitiya who contested the last general election on the SLPP ticket.
Of the 14 SLFPers in current parliament, except for Angajan Ramanathan, all others, including the party leader Maithripala Sirisena contested on the SLPP ticket.
Lawmaker Hashim emphasized that the breakaway UNP group, the SJB wouldn’t accept the responsibility for the actions of the Kegalle District member.
Responding to another query, MP Siyambalapitiya said that he wasn’t in parliament during the exchange between Minister Wijesekera and MP Hashim. Acknowledging that persons from the Kegalle district had been recruited to the CEB during his tenure as the minister in charge of the institution, MP Siyambaalapitiya denied accusations as regards violations of Treasury directives in doing so.
Perhaps the minister and the MP had referred to the CEB taking approximately 6,000 workers who had been employed via ‘manpower’ companies 15 to 20 years ago, MP Siyambalapitiya said. The failure on the part of successive administrations to resolve that issue caused frequent strikes and work stoppages, the SLFPer said, questioning the rationale in finding fault with him for settling a long-standing issue.
The former minister said that during his period the CEB had to be further expand as the then government took tangible measures to provide electricity for all those who sought the service. Of those who requested the facility, the CEB up to that time had provided connections to 94%-95% and action was taken to provide electricity for the remaining lot. Therefore, additional workers had to be recruited, the then power minister said.
MP Siyambalapitiya said that UNPer Attorney-at-Law Ajith. P. Perera served as the State Minister of Power. Had I abused my office; he would have brought that to the notice of his party.
Reiterating in parliament the urgent need to restructure the CEB, Minister Wijesekera questioned the rationale in outsourcing work to the private sector that should have been handled by the state enterprise. The Matara district MP placed the number of CEB and LECO workers at over 26,000.
JVP’s Vijitha Herath has told parliament that the proposed restructuring was nothing but a prerequisite for the finalization of RFI (Rapid Financing Instrument) with the IMF.
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By Saman Indrajith
SLPP Chairman Prof GL Peiris told Parliament yesterday that he and 12 other MPs of the SLPP reform group would join the opposition ranks.
Making a special statement with the permission from the Chair, the former minister said that the 13 MPs would sit on the opposition side and function as an independent group.
The group comprises Prof Peiris, Dullas Alahapperuma, Dilan Perera, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, Prof. Charitha Herath, Prof. Channa Jayasumana, K.P.S. Kumarasiri, Dr. Gunapala Ratnasekera, Wasantha Yapa Bandara, Tilak Rajapaksa, Lalith Ellawela, Udayana Kirindigoda and Upul Galappatti.
Prof. Peiris said: “Sri Lanka is facing a series of crises. This is nothing new to Sri Lanka. We have managed to face them all including the civil conflict, the tsunami, and the COVID-19 pandemic.”
He said during all those periods Sri Lanka had a strong parliament that represented the mandate of the people. “Unfortunately, today we do not have that strength,” Prof Peiris said.
Prof Peiris said that public opinion no longer was represented in the House. “There is a clear disparity on what the people want and what is represented in the parliament. The promises and pledges made to the people back in 2020 ahead of the Parliamentary Elections, are not being fulfilled. The SLPP supporters’ aspirations have been destroyed,” he said.
Prof Peiris said that the government in power today was doing the complete opposite of what it promised during the election campaign. “The social contract between the people and their elected representatives is a core factor in parliamentary democracy. If that social contract is eroded or destroyed, the democratic way of life cannot be revived.”
“If the people demand an election, then that right must be ensured. Withholding that right in fear of defeat is unacceptable,” Prof Peiris said.
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Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena yesterday (31) assured Parliament that those arrested on Tuesday (27) during the protest launched by the Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) wouldn’t be dealt with in terms of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
This assurance was given in Parliament after the SJB leader Sajith Premadasa raised the issue. The IUSF launched the protest, demanding the immediate release of three persons, including a Buddhist monk held under the PTA.
Premier Gunawardena has stressed that the government was determined to ensure the rights of all and not just selected individuals.
The Maligakanda Magistrate yesterday granted bail to 28 protesters produced before him pending investigations into the previous day’s incidents in the Maradana police area (SF)
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