'Do Not Vote for Monks'
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SUNDAY 5 JULY 2020 LATEST EDITION VOL: 09/33 PRICE : RS 60.00 Mihintale Chief Incumbent urges ‘Do not vote for Monks’ BY RUWANTHA NITHULGASPITIYA Chief Incumbent of the Mihintale Rajamaha Viharaya, Ven. Dr. Walahahengunawawe Dhammaratana Thera made a request to voters to refrain from voting for monks contesting the 5 August General Election. He expressed regret that none of the monks elected to Parliament thus far had presented a Bill in furtherance Easter attacks and Treasury Bonds scam of the Buddha Sasana, adding that all they had done was to enter Parliament to fulfil their lust for privileges and in turn live lives of luxury whilst enjoying personal privileges. Story Continued on PAGE 2 Four Political Port trade unionists call off fast BY NABIYA VAFFOOR AND EUNICE RUTH The fast-unto-death campaign launched by trade unionists affiliated to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority Bigwigs to (SLPA) demanding the unloading of three gantry cranes at the East Container Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo Port was called off, after a meeting was held with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on 3 July. At the discussion held between the Premier and trade unionists, the former had approved the unloading of the three gantry cranes at the ECT and be Charged ordered to start operations as soon as possible. Story Continued on PAGE 2 BY W.K. PRASAD MANJU He charged that when a case had been filed Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna concerning last year’s Development of JCT and ECT (SLPP), Colombo District Easter Sunday Candidate Wijeyadasa carnage by the Rajapakshe, PC, said under a new previous United President appoints SLPP regime helmed by the National Front (UNF) incumbent President and the led regime, charges five-member Prime Minister, politicians had not been filed responsible for the Central Bank concerning four Treasury Bonds scam and former Ministers Committee politicians who had allegedly over the heinous President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed a five- provided shelter to extremists crime. member Committee to examine and report on the behind the 21 April 2019 Easter Rajapakshe alleged that the concerns regarding the development of the Jaya Sunday terror attacks, will be four former Ministers of the Container Terminal (JCT) and East Container prosecuted. previous regime had also... Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo Port. Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 Treasury Bonds scam Major Police CID grills reshuffle Ranil 20 top Cops transferred BY KUMUDU UPUL SHANTHA SSP Sujith Wedamulla to head PNB UNP Leader and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe BY LEON BERENGER was questioned by the CID on 3 July, in connection with the At least 20 top Police Officers Central Bank Treasury Bonds were transferred out of their scam. respective divisions in a major The CID had visited reshuffle, days after the Police Wickremesinghe at his residence Narcotics Bureau (PNB) was rocked in Kollupitiya and recorded... with a corruption scandal after... Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 Match fixing probe abandoned SIU cites lack of evidence BY W.K. PRASAD MANJU Mahindananda Aluthgamage has been concluded, said the Head of The probe conducted by the the Unit, Chief Inspector of Police Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of Jagath Fonseka. He said officers the Ministry of Sports into match attached to the Unit had decided to fixing allegations linked to the 2011 complete the probe and submit a ICC World Cup Final, made by report to the Secretary to the former Minister of Sports Ministry of Sports shortly. Story Continued on PAGE 2 Issuing copper to factory owned by suicide bomber Sirisena’s PR Director gave the order – Witness BY BUDDHIKA SAMARAWEERA The Industrial Development Board (IDB) had once been informed to issue 500 metric tonnes of copper to the factory owned by Cinnamon Grand Hotel suicide bomber, Mohamed Ibrahim Insaf Ahmed, located in the Wellampitiya area through a letter sent in June 2018... Story Continued on PAGE 2 A2 SUNDAY 5 JULY 2020 NEWS Jinthupitiya in Colombo BOC loan schemes to aid SMEs affected by COVID-19 13 in lockdown – BOC Chairman The Bank of Ceylon (BOC) will addressed in this respect will be Seafarer tests positive for COVID-19 formulate loan schemes to aid that of discussing how Small and Medium-scale individuals who have obtained Enterprises (SMEs) affected by loans from other banks and BY DILANTHI COVID-19, said BOC Chairman, have found difficulties in JAYAMANNE Attorney-at-Law Kanchana repaying, could solve such Ratwatte. difficulties and obtain a further Jinthupitiya in Colombo He said, while the Central loan from the BOC. 13 was closed off after a Bank of Sri Lanka has “As an entity registered under seafarer from Sri Lanka who formulated several concessions, the Central Bank, the BOC has had a history of having the BOC is also attempting to to comply with Central Bank travelled to India tested support such businesses, regulations which state that if positive for COVID-19 adding that the Bank looks an individual has obtained a during his compulsory forward to implementing a loan from another Bank and home quarantine period. single digit interest rate for has had difficulties in Health sources said he another 14 days. Health sources said that Meanwhile, the loans. repayment, such individuals had undergone the Sources said that the over 150 persons including Government Medical “Money at the BOC is deposits should not be granted a further mandatory 14-day person however had been 10 persons who were his Officers’ Association of the public and it is our loan from any other bank, and quarantine period at a forced to use common family members had been stressed the urgent need for responsibility to ensure that this issue is what has to be quarantine centre and had sanitation facilities once he sent to the quarantine random community testing businesses benefit from these discussed and resolved,” he not tested positive for the reached home which was facility in Kandakadu. of high-risk groups such as loan schemes, develop their added.He made these polymerase chain reaction when he had been detected However, the Director these who already have been businesses and pay us a sum of statements while addressing a (PCR) test carried out on with COVID-19 during the General of Health Services, exposed to possible carriers money in return as interest,” he conference of small and him before he returned community testing carried Dr. Anil Jasinghe has said of the virus, and were added. medium enterprises in the home for the mandatory self out on high risk groups in that this was not a case of returning to the country Ratwatte noted that one of fisheries sector and tea industry quarantine at home for the particular area. community transmission. after travelling abroad. main issues that will be held in the Southern Province. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Four Political... ...been involved in the Bonds SLPP Government is formed, they Parliamentary Select Committee that extremists behind the terror work efficiently, and that the scam, and asserted that the former will act swiftly to prosecute the four was formed by the previous regime attack. names of politicians of the previous Government had taken legal action ex-Ministers in question, regarding to probe the Easter Sunday mayhem He pointed out that as the UNF Government, who had against others but not against these the two previously mentioned had allegedly absolved blame that Presidential Commission of Inquiry allegedly provided political shelter four ex-Ministers. incidents. had fallen on those who had formed to probe the 2019 Easter to the extremists behind the He stressed that once the new He further charged that the provided political shelter to Sunday blasts, is continuing their attack, would be revealed shortly. Major Police... Match fixing... CID grills... Fonseka said as part of the probe they had recorded three ...16 personnel were pool, Weerasinghe said. half a dozen and a dozen statements from three former players, but noted that they ...the statement, Police Media arrested for alleged He said that all the or even more and from had been insufficient to verify the 14 points that had been Spokesman, SSP Jaliya Senaratne connections to local drug transfers were approved various ranks. raised in the statement given to them by Aluthgamage, thus confirmed. lords, a topmost official both by the NPC and the This is being done forcing them to abandon the inquiry. This was following Attorney said on 3 July. Election Commission purely as a precautionary He added though it had been mentioned that letters had General Dappula de Livera, PC, on Three Deputy Inspectors following a directive from measure to prevent a been sent to the ICC in this regard, the sport’s world ruling 18 June instructing the Acting General of Police (DIGs), the Defence authorities. conflict of interest since body had to date not responded to those letters. Inspector General of Police to record nine Acting DIGs, six He added that Acting the Police have been Fonseka noted that the three ex-players who had provided statements over the said incident Senior Superintendents of DIG G.K.J. Aponsu has called upon to investigate statements to them had given them clear reasons as to why from former President Maithripala Police (SSPs) and two been transferred from the the Police,” Weerasinghe certain players had been changed before the commencement Sirisena, Wickremesinghe, former Assistant Superintendents Police Headquarters to explained. of the ICC World Cup Final, nine years ago. Advisor to Wickremesinghe, S. of Police (ASPs) were Head the PNB while SSP A total of 16 PNB He opined that hence there was no purpose in further Paskaralingam and a former Bank placed on the transfer list, Sujith Wedamulla has officers who were arrested prolonging the probe into Aluthgamage’s allegation.