former DIG Vass further remanded till August

Six suspects including former DIG Vass Gunawardena and his son Ravindu Gunawardena, arrested for the alleged possession of firearms, were ordered further remanded till August 8 by Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris.

Defence counsel Asitha Vipulanayake appearing on behalf of the suspects moved Court that several items which were taken into CID custody be released.

Accordingly, the Court directed the CID to submit in Court a report pertaining to those items on next hearing date.

The six suspects - former DIG Vaas Gunawardena, his son Ravindu Vaas Gunawardena, Sub Inspector Indika Bamunuge, Police Constable (PC) Gamini Sarath Chandra, PC Priyanka Sanjeewa and PC Kelum Ranga were sentenced to death by Colombo High Court for committing the murder of millionaire businessman Mohamed Shyam in 2013 at Dompe.

If Sri Lanka loses, they will say it is because of Murali

Sri Lanka’s record-breaking spinner Muttiah Muralitharan launched a blistering attack Monday on his former bosses after they complained about his behaviour in his new role as a mentor to Australia.

After his former employers said Muralitharan was damaging his legacy, the 44-year-old accused Sri Lanka’s board of setting him up as a fall guy if the hosts lose a series to the visiting Australians.

And Muralitharan, the highest wicket-taker in Test history, then accused the board president of knowing nothing about cricket and angrily denounced any suggestion of being “a traitor”. 

“If Sri Lanka loses, they (the board) will say it is because of Murali,” he said in a recorded statement which was sent to AFP. 

“They have no right to accuse me of being a traitor. Have they done one hundredth of what I have contributed to cricket in Sri Lanka?  This is a political game to cover their shortcomings,” he added. “I am being used as a pawn to cover their failings.”

His outburst was sparked by a complaint by the board that he had bullied groundsmen into letting the Australians practise on the pitch which hosts the opening match in a three-Test series from Tuesday. 

Cricket Australia confirmed they received a complaint about the incident at Pallekele Stadium, on the outskirts of Kandy, but said the issue had been resolved “after discussions between the two management teams”. 

Muralitharan is a hero in Sri Lanka after taking 800 Test wickets before retiring six years ago. 

But his decision to impart his local knowledge to the tourists has raised eyebrows, not least because he was once labelled a “chucker” by Australia’s then-prime minister John Howard.

Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews was more conciliatory, acknowledging his former teammate’s expertise. 

“The Australians obviously saw value in his knowledge of Sri Lankan conditions,” Mathews told reporters. 

In his video statement, Muralitharan said he had not received any approach from the Sri Lankan board to help the island’s next generation of spinners and accused it of favouring foreign coaches over locals. 

“They don’t give an opportunity to talented Sri Lankan coaches and prefer to bring white people from abroad,” he said. 

“That affects our economy too because we have to pay them dollars that leave the country. That is treachery.”

Sri Lanka has a history of employing foreign coaches and re-hired South Africa’s Graham Ford earlier this year for a second stint.

Depositing of auspicious items for the Moragahakanda Dam

President Maithripala Sirisena, at the auspicious time 10. 59 this morning, enshrined traditional sacred relics in the Moragahakanda Dam.

The Moragahakanda – Kalu Ganga project was inaugurated by the President when he was Minister of Agriculture in 2007.

The project was implemented with an investment of USD 1,300 million and is expected to supply an additional 25Mw to the national grid.

At completion, the Moragahakanda – Kalu Ganga reservoir will supply water to 82,000 hectares of cultivation fields in Trincomalee, Polonnaruwa, Matale, and Anuradhapura districts. It is also expected to supply water to around 200, 000 families in Northern, North-Central, and Northwestern provinces and provide a durable solution to the Chronic Kidney Disease caused by the water in the dry zone.

 Seventy-five percent of the construction of the Moragahakanda Reservoir is now complete and the remaining 25% will be completed by the end of the year.

The Kalu Ganga project is expected to be complete by 2018.

Deputy Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment Anuradha Jayarathne said 3,162 families were displaced due to the development project, and were resettled at suitable alternative lands. He said they were compensated by the government through the Mahaweli Development and Environment scheme.

Colombo pays for Hambantota’s debts - Minister Arjuna

“A loan of $1.2 billion was taken from the banks for Hambantota Port. We definitely must pay this debt off. Therefore, Colombo uses this profit to pay debt for Hambantota. 

However, the loan which was taken for the Colombo is being paid with no trouble. We face many difficulties when we have to pay for Hambantota’s debt’s…” Hon. Minister of Ports and Shipping Mr. Arjuna Ranathunga stated. 

Minister said this at the Sri Lanka Ports Authority’s 37th anniversary celebrations press conference. This press conference took place at the Ministry of Ports and Shipping today (25). Ports and Shipping Ministry Secretary Mr. L. P. Jayampathy and Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chairman Mr. Dammika Ranathunga participated.

The 37th anniversary of Sri Lanka Ports Authority is on the 1st of August. The celebration week for the anniversary, was published today and this celebration week ends on the 10th of August. Unveiled by President Maithripala Sirisena a new warehouse is due to be open at the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. 

Hon. Minister of Ports and Shipping Mr. Arjuna Ranathunga said that like in the recent, without spending money unnecessarily, the aim for this years’ anniversary is to spend on Ports employees’ welfare and productivity. Minister further stated that for the development of the Colombo port’s Eastern terminal now a large amount of development proposals have been received.

Already 48% of the revenue is paid for the employees’ salaries, overtime and for welfare activities. As per my notice I think none of the companies in this country pays as such. From this remaining percentage of 52% or 53% we have to cover the other remaining activities of the port. However, with a guarantee I can say that we don’t let down employees. If it’s possible we will even give more. Today, some people raise mud campaigns against us. These mud campaigns are done by a group which is not part of the Trade Union. Such Trade union is no registered under the Ports Authority or at the Workers department. 

When they have no support from parent parties few people have got together and have made this group. They don’t talk about the employees. They only raise their voices for their private matters. These are people who advocated the privatization of the terminal in the recent past. We have already launched a program to start operations on our Eastern Terminal. East terminal is our best terminal. We currently have a large number of investors, who are willing to invest for development. It's a good trend. We have made discussions on the fact that we are not only planning to develop the Eastern Terminal, we are planning on developing the other terminals as well…” Hon. Minister Arjuna Ranathunga stated.

Contempt action against Namal Rajapaksa

The contempt action filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), against Hambantota district MP Namal Rajapaksa, is to be taken up at the Supreme Court today.

The Director General of the Commission filed contempt action against the MP on June 30 for allegedly disrespected the authority of the Commission by failing to appear before the Commission without reasonable cause, and failing to produce an affidavit over an investigation on the assets of the MP.

In her complaint, the CIABOC Director General Dilrukshi Dias Wickremasinghe requested the Supreme Court to initiate proceedings against Namal Rajapaksa for the offence of contempt, under Article 105(3) of the Constitution.

Johnston and Mahindananda to be arrested

Johnston Fernando and Mahindananda Aluthgamage are to be arrested within days over several incidents of corruption and fraud that had reportedly taken place during the period they were ministers in the previous Rajapaksa regime, police headquarters sources say.

Both the CID and the FCID are investigating the serious charges against the duo.

Fernando stands accused over the setting fire to important documents of the CWE and giving state vehicles plus fuel worth more than Rs. 100,000 a month to his friends.

A leading UNP minister has requested prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to show some leniency towards Fernando.

The PM has refused to intervene, noting the law should be enforced to the letter against all those responsible for corruption.

President to meet SLFP MPs

Meanwhile, president Maithripala Sirisena has summoned all SLFP MPs to his official residence for a meeting at 5.00 pm today (25).

Most MPs had received the summons by yesterday, and they would attend the meeting, said joint opposition MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage.

When asked if the president would request them to halt the planned ‘Pada Yatra’ protest march from Kandy, Aluthgamage said he did not think the president would make such a request.

The march is being organized not with the aim of overthrowing the government, but against its traitorous acts towards the country and the UNP’s dictatorial journey, said the opposition MP.

The president has given the joint opposition the freedom to voice its opposition to acts against the people, he said.

If the government does not correct itself even thereafter, people will be made better organized to form a SLFP government, he added.

Florida nightclub shooting: Two dead and 16 injured

Two people have been shot dead and at least 16 others hurt in a mass shooting at an event for teenagers at a nightclub in Florida.

The shooting is reported to have broken out at Club Blu Bar and Grill in Fort Myers, Florida, during a 'teen night' event in the early hours of this morning.

Early reports suggest one of the dead victims is a 14-year-old boy.

Children as young as 13 are believed to have been caught up in the horror after shooting broke out at around 1am local time (6am UK time).

Police said one person has been detained and another suspect is still on the run.

There are reportedly three different shooting scenes, but it is not known if they are linked.

HIV infected man takes girls' virginity as part of rituals in Malawi

A HIV-infected man in his 40s has told how he makes a living by being paid to have sex with children.

Eric Aniva, who would not reveal his exact age, lives in the Nsanje district of southern Malawi where he works a sex worker.

His work - known as a "hyena" - is embedded into the sacred traditions of his village.

There, young women are regularly "cleansed" by having sex with a hyena, sometimes as punishment for an offence such as having an abortion.

But for locals a hyena's main duty is overseeing a coming-of-age ritual, where girls take part in sex over a three-day period after their first menstruation.

 

Mr Aniva, speaking to the BBC, said: "Most of those I have slept with are girls, school-going girls.

"Some girls are just 12 or 13 years old, but I prefer them older. All these girls find pleasure in having me as their hyena.

"They actually are proud and tell other people that this man is a real man, he knows how to please a woman."

But with one in 10 Malawians having HIV, the work of hyenas is riddled with the risk of spreading serious disease.

And Mr Aniva himself has HIV, but continues his work regardless.

He is paid £3 to £5 by locals to perform the sex rituals.

And village elders, who are responsible for organising the "cleansing", insist that they are necessary to "avoid infection with their parents or the rest of the community".

Government officials do not endorse the traditions, but they do not actively campaign against them either.

Dr May Shaba, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Gender and Welfare, said: "We are not going to condemn these people. But we are going to give them information that they need to change their rituals."