Day: 6 March 2016

The Government says it has the backing of all UN Hyman Rights Council (UNHRC) member countries including those who opposed Sri Lanka when the former Government was in power. State Minister of Finance Mahinda Samarasinghe said that Sri Lanka cannot go forward by having close links only with a few countries. He said Sri Lanka’s international relations have improved after January 8 last year when the new Government took office. The State Minister said that under President Maithripala Sirisena, Sri Lanka has been able to obtain assistance from several countries,…

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Defence officials are dumbfounded as to how a tape recording of missing journalist Prageeth Ekanaligoda, which was only in the hands of the military, has now appeared on some websites. Last year the military had claimed that there was a tape recording of a conversation between Ekanaligoda and the LTTE and later that tape recording was handed over to the Homagama Magistrate. The tape recording of the alleged conversation between Ekanaligoda and the LTTE was handed over to the court during the last hearing on the disappearance of Eknaligoda. The…

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Can a docu-drama that was aired in Sri Lanka be banned in India on the grounds that it may sour relations with the island nation? The censor board thinks yes, but the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) says: Of course not. And so, ‘Muttrupulliyaa…?’ the first indigenously made Tamil feature film on the lives of Tamils in Sri Lanka after the civil war ended in 2009 was given the green light by FCAT, which overturned the censor board’s refusal to give the movie a certificate for Indian screenings. “In case…

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by Ashanthi Warunasuriya The police are investigating the possible links of a former parliamentarian over the shooting of Dematagoda Chaminda, a key suspect of the murder of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra. Dematagoda Chaminda was shot at last week while he was being transported to the Welikada Prison. Police sources told The Sunday Leader that Dematagoda Chaminda was to be used as a state witness and he was prepared to reveal information related to the underworld activities in Colombo. According to police sources, a former parliamentarian with links to the underworld is suspected to…

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by Rajith Gunawardena The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has received several complaints regarding the bodyguard of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. CID sources said that complaints have been received against retired Major Nevil Wanniarachchi alleging he had misused the powers he had when Rajapaksa was President. He had allegedly obtained nearly Rs. 1.5 million for each tour. He had also taken ownership of three residencies built for government officials in Kandy, and according to sources, his friends are now occupying those houses. It has also come to light that a petrol…

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Twenty six new Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) District and Electoral Organizers were appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena earlier last week, replacing those known to be highly vociferous government critics and wishing to form a new political party posing a possible threat of splitting the party. Among those overlooked in the appointments were Parliamentarian Prasanna Ranatunga, former Western Province Chief Minister and Minuwangoda SLFP organizer; Dilum Amunugama, Kandy District SLFP MP and former Senkadagala SLFP organizer; Dhanasiri Amaratunga, former Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia organizer and Deputy Mayor and Kanthi Kodikara, former Mayor…

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The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) which conducted in depth investigations into the rape and murder of a school girl in Poonkudutheevu, Jaffna informed the courts today that the incident was organized as revenge over a love affair. Submitting the report, Head of the Investigation team I.P. Nishantha told the Delft Magistrate M.M. Riyal that six suspects who are in custody were directly involved in the rape and the rest assisted them in various ways. According to the CID report, the whole incident was orchestrated when the victim turned down a…

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