Strong earthquake hits Central Italy

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck central Italy early Wednesday, with reports of damaged buildings and blackouts near the epicenter Rieti and residents fleeing their homes and running into the streets with the shock also felt in Rome.

The quake struck just after 3:30 a.m. In Rome, some buildings shook for 20 seconds, according to reports.

So far, there are no reports of damage or casualties.

Aftershocks are still being felt across the whole of central Italy all the way to Naples and Foggia and with people reportedly in the streets in Florence.

The quake was initially reported as being magnitude 6.4.

In 2009, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake in the Aquila region, which was also felt in the Italian capital, left more than 300 dead.

SANASA depositors complain of fraud

The depositors of Wattegedera branch of SANASA bank yesterday staged a protest opposite the Western Provincial Council at Battaramulla claiming that two officials had embezzled Rs. 68 million deposited by them.

The protest was staged following the monthly meeting of the council.

The protesters said the Cooperative Department under whose purview the SANASA bank came also should take the responsibility.

They discussed the issue with Western Provincial Council Chief Minister Isuru Devapriya and other PC members.

The Chief Minister issued orders to Provincial Cooperative Minister Lalith Wanigaratne to dissolve the board of directors of SANASA bank and asked the Cooperative Department to take over the functions of the institution.

Alleged sexual abuse at Hantana: 4 suspects get bail

KANDY: The four suspects including two women held in remand in connection with the alleged sexual abuse of a group of young women at the Hantana Vocational Training Centre were allowed bail in cash and personal surety by the Kandy Chief Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala yesterday (22).

The four suspects were produced in court by the Kandy prisons officers.

The first suspect is a private tuition master named Chandimal Gamage.The second, third and fourth suspects are Imesha Wickremasinghe and Nuwandi Weerasinghe and Nimal Peiris respectively.

The Magistrate prohibited the suspects from leaving the country and ordered them to surrender their passports.The case was put off for October 10.

Kandy police Crime Investigation Branch OIC CI Farook, HQI CI Nipuna Dehigama and Women’s and Children’s Bureau Chief WCI Iyesha Bandara prosecuted.

Kalinga Indatissa P.C. with attorney Nanda Senanayake appeared for the fourth suspectNimal Peiris while attorney Nanda Senanayake appeared for rest of the suspects.A team of attorneys inclusive of Bandara Karunanayake and Supun Ratnayake watched the interests of the aggrieved parties.

Attorneys for the aggrieved parties said in court that police inquiries into the complaints were of a satisfactory nature.

At this point Chief Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala said: "The stable was closed after the horse had bolted".

Peradeniya University students clash

KANDY: Four first year students of the Faculty of Allied Sciences of the University of Peradeniya were admitted to Peradeniya Teaching Hospital following a clash between the senior students and freshers on Monday (22) night.

The four victims entered the university at the end of last year. Their condition was not serious according to sources.

A spokesman for the Peradeniya University said the reason for the clash between the two groups had been over some first year students’ failure to participate in social activities organised by the senior students.

VAT Bill withdrawn at last

Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella yesterday withdrew the Value Addition Tax (Amendment) bill which had been declared unacceptable by the Supreme Court.

It was listed in the Order Paper under Item No 29 as a Bill to be taken for debate.MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena asked the government how and why a Bill declared null and void by the Supreme Court was still on the Order Paper.

At that moment, the Leader of the House announced that the government would withdraw it. (SI)

Opposition wants OMP Bill resubmitted to House

The Office of the Missing Persons Bill will have to be tabled afresh in Parliament as it had been signed by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya without including the amendments submitted by the JVP and other opposition parties.

Leader of the House and Highways and Higher Education Minister Lakshman Kiriella told Parliament that he would discuss with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera the possibility of presenting the Bill again.

The Leader of the House made the announcement when the opposition MPs pointed out that their amendments had not been included in the Bill signed into law by the Speaker.

MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena: We have stated many times that this Bill cannot be considered as passed according to the provisions of the Standing Orders. We reiterate that the OMP Bill is null and void. That was why we asked for time to inform the House of the mistake the government had committed. This happened once when the government took a vote on a financial bill. Later it was corrected. We submitted 31 amendments to the OMP Bill and do not know what happened to them.

NFF Leader Wimal Weerawansa: I asked for a division when the Bill was taken up in this House. The Speaker might not have heard it because of shouting. The Bill was rushed through the House in an arbitrary manner. The end result was the Bill included amendments of the government and overlooked those submitted by the opposition. We opposed this Bill and therefore our amendments have not included our amendments. Then what about the amendments of those who supported the Bill? They have become frustrated today. This office is not to find the truth about those gone missing in 1988-89 period. It is against the war heroes.

Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella: I was really keen to participate in the debate on the OMP Bill. But, it was not we who disrupted the debate. The Opposition should have participated in the debate without invading the Well. The Bill was presented to this House on May 22. Had you had any opposition there to you could have gone before court. Now it is too late. The Speaker has placed his signature thereon. It contains all necessary amendments.

Chief Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake: You as the Leader of the House should announce the time for amendments and should call for the amendments. The Hansard does not have any invitation from the Leader of the House. We should be given an opportunity to present those amendments again.

Leader of the House: We can discuss it.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake: Those who came to the Well did not want this Bill. Their intention was to deprive us of our right to participate in the debate. What we wanted was to present amendments to the Bill. The Chair could not follow procedure because of the disturbance in the middle of the Chamber. Bring the Bill before Parliament again and give us the opportunity to present amendments.

JVP MP Bimal Ratnayake: We submitted our amendments to the Foreign Minister and the Speaker. I presented amendments in my speech, too. But those amendments are not in the Bill signed by the Speaker. It is not the Speaker who deprived us of our right but a small group of protesters. We should have the right to present our amendments.

Leader of the House: The Bill has been passed. To include the amendments, the bill has to be brought before Parliament again. I will discuss it with the subject minister and give a solution soon.

Bimal Ratnayake: Setting up of the office would take three more months. Give us the opportunity to bring amendments.

businessman’s abductors demand Rs 20 M ransom

Police have launched a probe into an unidentified phone call received by family members of abducted millionaire businessman Mohammad Sulaiman, at Kothalawela Avenue on Monday, in which the caller had demanded a ransom of Rs 20 million for his release.

Police said the unidentified phone call had been received on the land line at Sulaiman's residence around 9 a.m. on 22 August.

The caller had said he would notify them of the name of a bank which the ransom deposit was to be paid into and abruptly ended the call.Police sources said teams probing the incident had discovered that the phone call had been made from a public phone booth in Kegalle.

The source added that the parents of the abducted businessman had returned to the island from India on the day after his abduction, cutting short a family visit there.

Police said Sulaiman had been abducted as soon as he alighted from his car at his residence on returning from a private party at night on 21 August.

Police have sought GEENTECH'S assistance to identify the blood stains found near the entrance to Sulaiman's residence to establish whether it is Sulaiman's or of one of his abductors.

Sources stated that Sulaiman was a big-time textiles dealer who has supplied textiles on credit to the value of Rs 70 million to other businessmen who are yet to settle their debts.

Police inquiries have revealed that complaints to this effect had been recorded at the CID and the CCD. Meanwhile, Police are also investigating leads to establish whether his movements have been recently monitored and specifically whether he had been followed home from the party by his abductors. Police are also tracing people he might have met at the party who could throw some light on the abduction.

Police have also found Sulaiman's wristwatch that had broken loose and fallen to the ground where Sulaiman had been abducted, suggesting there had been a scuffle and resistance from Sulaiman.

Police also believe that those demanding the ransom were clearly holding him hostage somewhere. Several Police teams from the CCD are already probing the abduction.

MR to Malaysia for APPU Convention

Joint Opposition (JO) and SLFP Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa is scheduled to leave for Kuala Lumpur on 1 September to attend the International Convention of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarians Union (APPU). 

The former President will be accompanied by MPs Dinesh Gunawardena, Lohan Ratwatte and Johnston Fernando. The convention is to be held from 1 to 4 September.