Unfair to connect PM to alleged bond scam

Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara said that it was unfair to connect the name of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to the alleged bond scam, since there are enough evidences to prove the negligence of the former Central Bank governor and the former officials of the Central Bank.

He made this observation at a media conference yesterday at the Sports Ministry Auditorium.

“Though the former Central Bank Governor has used the name of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe several times, the Prime Minister cannot take such a decision,” said the Minister adding that the decision should be taken by the Monetary Board.

He said it was questionable why they have used the name of the Prime Minister without the Monetary board taking the correct decision.

Responding to a question raised by a journalist with regard to the request made by the Joint Opposition to conduct a probe against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe over the central bank’s controversial Bond issues, Jayasekara said the Prime Minister has not intervened to safeguard corrupt officials.

The Prime Minister fulfilled his duty by instructing the office of the Leader of the House to forward the COPE report to the Attorney General for necessary legal action. For the first time immediate measures have been taken to forward the COPE report to the Attorney General for necessary action, he said.

“As a person who represents the COPE committee for about 10 years, we submitted several COPE reports even during the previous regime. But no action had been taken with regard to those reports,” he said.

The Minister said that the President, Prime Minister and the present regime will never safeguard people who are involved in bribery, corruption or any other financial malpractice.”

Gammanpila Seeks Permission to attend wedding

Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader MP Udaya Gammanpila today sought court permission to travel to India in the next few weeks.

Gammanpila whose passport was impounded by court for cheating Rs. 20 million and misappropriating Rs. 21 million in an allegedly fraudulent share transaction, sought Colombo High Court’s permission to temporary lift his travel ban.

President’s Counsel Jayantha Weerasinghe with Senior Counsel Nalinda Indatissa appearing for MP Gammanpila, moved High Court Judge A.A.R. Heiyanthuduwa to allow their client to travel to Mumbai bbetween November 21 and November 24 to attend a wedding.

The Defence Counsel said further their client was wanting to travel to Japan too, to attend in a seminar between December 9 and 20.

Senior State Counsel appearing on behalf of the Attorney General informed court she was not informed by the Defence of such a move.

She further said the Attorney General wanted to peruse documents prior to taking a position on removing travel restriction.

The request is to be considered on November 9.

New garbage collection programme inaugurated

The inauguration of the classified garbage collection programme was held under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena at the President’s Official Residence, today (Nov.01).

Marking the launch of this island-wide programme, the President handed over the properly classified garbage bins as degradable and non-degradable to the City Council.

Expressing his views regarding the garbage disposal issue of the country the President said that the Government should provide solutions for the garbage disposal issue of the country paying highest priority for it.

The President expressed the hope that this programme will pave the way to create a clean City and a clean country. He said that the contribution of all the citizens in the country needed to achieve success in all the waste management programmes carried out by the Government.

The programme implemented according to a concept of the Ministry of Provincial Council and Local Government as well as the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development.

Ministers Patali Champika Ranawaka, Faizer Mustapha, Sagala Rathnayake, State Minister, Priyankara Jayarathna, Provincial Councils and Local Government Ministry Secretary Kamal Padmasiri and state officials participated in this event.

Cigarettes prices increased

Prices of cigarettes were increased with effect from midnight yesterday due to tax increment effect from today, the Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) said. They said Gold Leaf had been increased by Rs.7, Dunhill increased by Rs.10 and Bristol increased by Rs.5.

Accordingly, the increase in cigarette prices is as follows:

JO complains to CIABOC Against Ranil & Mahendran

The Joint Opposition yesterday lodged a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran in respect of the alleged Central Bank bond scam committed on Feb. 27, 2015.

JO spokesman and Kandy District MP Keheliya Rambukwella told that the JO expected the CIABOC to conduct a thorough probe into the mega scam.

Responding to a query, MP Rambukwella stressed that they would continue to press the CIABOC until those in authority took tangible measures to have the transaction investigated. The former media minister said that PM Wickremesinghe had brought in Singaporean national Mahendran as the Governor of the Central Bank though the Constitution barred a foreigner from holding that office.

Rambukwella alleged that the top UNP leadership expected the JVP to undermine investigations undertaken by parliamentary watchdog committee COPE. Asked to explain, the MP said the alleged bond scam that had taken place during 100-day government under his watch had ruined his much-touted image as Mr clean.

Inflation accelerates 8%

Inflation, on a year on year basis, accelerated by 0.3 percentage points (7.69%) to 4.2% last month (October 2016) compared to September 2016, the Census and Statistics Department (CSD) website showed yesterday.

Both food and non alcoholic beverages and non food items were responsible for this increase, the CSD said.

These increases are as per inflation measurement of the CSD vis-à-vis its Colombo Consumers' Price Index. However, the movement of alcohol and cigarette prices is not included in this measurement.

Annual average inflation also moved up in the review period, accelerating by 0.2 percentage points (5.88%) to 3.6%, the CSD said.

Sinhala Jury for Raviraj case

Colombo High Court Judge Manilal Waidyathilaka yesterday decided to hear the case related to the slaying of former MP Nadaraja Raviraj and his security officer before a specially constituted Sinhala Jury on a daily basis commencing 21 November.

The accused in the case had previously requested the High Court to hear the case before a special Sinhala speaking Jury.

However, the Counsel appearing for the interests of the deceased MP Raviraj opposed that move.

Despite the objections raised by the Counsel for the deceased MP, High Court Judge Waidyathilaka, decided to hear the case before a specially constituted Sinhala speaking Jury.

The Judge also issued notices on all witnesses to be present in Court on that date.

The Attorney General has indicted six suspects in the High Court over the assassination of the former MP and his security guard and the case will be heard sans three suspects who have avoided the Court thus far.

Child Helps Woman steal jewellery

A jewellery shop owner of Akurana has complained to Alawathugoda police that CCTV cameras in his shop have recorded a five year-old child handing over to a woman a box containing jewellery before leaving the shop.

The box contained jewellery worth Rs. 416,000, he has told police.

Two women with two children aged two years and five years entered his shop and examined jewellery and went away saying they had not enough money to buy the jewellery at that moment.

However, later when the CCTV camera recordings were examined the jeweller found that the child aged about five years handing over a box to one of the women who had come with him.

The box contained ten bracelets valued at Rs. 416,000, the jeweller Sahabdeen Niyas has told police on Wednesday (26).

Alawathugoda police have launched an operation to identify the culprits.