Customs seizes haul of conch shells

Customs officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake yesterday seized a haul of conch shells and other shells to be smuggled out of the country violating the Customs Ordinance, Fauna and Flora Ordinance and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act. 

Customs Department officials said an Indian national who arrived in the country for business purposes had bought these shells from persons in Hambantota and Tangalle.

The suspect had told the Customs that he was planning to sell the shells back to Indian devotees for religious activities. Deputy Director of Customs Parakrama Basnayake said the haul of shells would be displayed at the museum of the Customs once the investigations are complete.

Udalagama granted bail

Gampaha Chief Magistrate Kavindya Nanayakkara yesterday granted bail to Army Intelligence Division Major Premananda Udalagama who was remanded on suspicion of connection in the assaults on former Rivira newspaper editor Upali Tennakoon and his wife.

The Police media unit said the suspect was released on three sureties of Rs 500,000 and cash bail of Rs 25,000 by the Gampaha Chief Magistrate.

Police said Udalagama will continue to be incarcerated as he is charged with being one of the assailants of former Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge.

On 23 January 2009, Tennakoon and his wife were assaulted at Imbulgoda in Gampaha, after which the couple fled into exile for their safety.

Wickrematunge was killed prior to that on 8 January 2009.

The suspect, a former member of the Army Intelligence Division, was taken into custody on 15 July night by the CID. The CID later told Court that they strongly suspected that Udalagama could also be linked to the attack on the former Editor of Rivira newspaper.

Civil groups boycott President’s dinner

Convener of the Puravesi Balaya Gamini Viyangoda said a majority of artistes who were invited by President Maithripala Sirisena to a function held at President's House on 13 October, had boycotted it in order to stress their disapproval of the remarks made by the President concerning the independence of the Bribery Commission, CID and the FCID. Members of the Puravesi Balaya and the National Movement for a Just Society were among the notable absentees at the event.

Politicians ‘allergic’ to prison cells

There has not been any change in the trend of politicians seeking admission to the Prison Hospital immediately after being handed a prison sentence.

According to Prison Department sources, former MP and death row inmate R. Duminda Silva had developed a fever and has been spotted in the Prison Hospital for over a week.

Another MP, NFF member Jayantha Samaraweera had also been admitted to the Welikada Prison Hospital on the first day of his incarceration.

Former Minister Wimal Weerawansa's elder brother Sarath Weerawansa has also been admitted to the Welikada Prison Hospital with fever.

JO and SLFP Kandy District MP Lohan Ratwatte's brother Chanuka Ratwatte has also been receiving treatment at the Prison Hospital.

Army officer claims he killed Lasantha

A 52-year-old retired sergeant major attached to the Intelligence Unit of the Army had allegedly committed suicide after writing a letter claiming that he had assassinated Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge.

Sgt. Major Ilandarage Jayamanne, was a resident of Dehipitiya Road at Karandupana in Kegalle.

The letter had been titled ‘To whom it may concern’, according to the Kegalle Police.

The letter claimed he was responsible for the murder and his friend Malinda Udalagama was innocent and therefore had requested the authorities to release him.

The father of three had requested that his letter be handed over to the Intelligence Unit. (Saman Wijaya Bandara)

Court Orders Auctioning Of 'Basil's Malwana Land

The Pugoda Magistrate's Court today ordered the auctioning of the land in Malwana, which was alleged to belong to former Economic 

Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa told the court last week that the land did not belong to him. No other owner also claimed the land. Therefore the state counsel requested it to be auctioned.

President’s comments could discourage officers involved in probes

The Janatha Vimukthi Pramuna (JVP) yesterday said the President’s recent statement that several investigation units could be operating on a political agenda cannot be taken lightly.

Issuing a statement, the JVP said the President’s comments referring to the Commission to Investigate Bribery or Corruption, the Financial Crimes Investigation Division and the Criminal Investigation Department could discourage officers involved in probes.

The JVP described the President’s statement as one which challenges the mandate he received from the voters on January 2015.

While noting that the President has also mentioned about the independent commissions in his recent speech, the JVP said these commissions came to be as a part of the 19th amendment.

The JVP recalled that the commissions were set up due to requests by civil society organisations and the people and also it was a major pledge of the current government.

The JVP said the matter was more serious as the President is the head of state and head of the government.

The Maldives withraws from the Commonwealth

The Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement released today, said the Maldives had decided to withdraw from the Commonwealth.

The statement is reproduced below:

The Government of Maldives has decided today to leave the Commonwealth. The decision to leave the Commonwealth was difficult, but inevitable.

The Maldives joined the Commonwealth in 1982 with high hopes and expectations, convinced that the organisation will be an arena for coordinating critical issues that the member States, in particular, the smallest members of the organisation face.

Since 2012, the Government of Maldives gave maximum cooperation to the Commonwealth, showed maximum transparency, and engaged with the Commonwealth at the highest levels. The Government had high hopes that such level of engagement will produce fruitful results. Regrettably, the Commonwealth has not recognised that progress and achievements that the Maldives accomplished in cultivating a culture of democracy in the country and in building and strengthening democratic institutions.

The Government of President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has enacted a total of 110 pieces of legislations, of which, 94 legislations were directly related to the core values set out in the Commonwealth Charter. An overwhelming majority of these legislations (69 out of 94) were specifically designed to promote human rights, to strengthen democratic governance, and to reinforce the separation of powers. These achievements have resulted in strengthening the rule of law and produced tangible outcomes in strengthening democratic institutions in the country.

The Commonwealth has sought to take punitive actions against the Maldives since 2012 after the then President of Maldives resigned, and transfer of power took place as per the procedures set out in the Constitution. The Commonwealth’s decision to penalise the Maldives was unjustified especially given that the Commission of National Inquiry (CoNI), established with the help of the Commonwealth, found that the transfer of power in the Maldives was consistent with the constitutional provisions.

Since then, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) and the Commonwealth Secretariat have treated the Maldives unjustly and unfairly. The Commonwealth has sought to become an active participant in the domestic political discourse in the Maldives, which is contrary to the principles of the Charters of the UN and the Commonwealth. The CMAG and the Commonwealth Secretariat seem to be convinced that the Maldives, because of the high and favourable reputation that the country enjoys internationally, and also perhaps because it is a small State that lacks material power, would be an easy object that can be used, especially in the name of democracy promotion, to increase the organisation’s own relevance and leverage in international politics.

The Maldives reassures that its international engagement will continue both bilaterally and multilaterally.

The Commonwealth of Nations is an intergovernmental organisation of 53 member states, that were mostly territories of the former British Empire.

Member states have no legal obligation to one another, but are united by language, history, culture and their shared values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law – values enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter.

The Gambia is the most recent nation to withdraw from the Commonwealth.