Thursday 13 August 2020 Latest Edition Vol: 09/208 Price : Rs 30.00
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THURSDAY 13 august 2020 LATEST EDITION VOL: 09/208 PRICE : Rs 30.00 Cabinet of 25 Sworn In 39 State Ministers Take Oaths The 25-Member Cabinet of Ministers and 39 (12). Additionally, 23 Parliamentarians have been According to the ‘Saubhagyaye Dekma (Vistas development, infrastructure facilities, education, State Ministers of the new Government led by the appointed as District Coordinating Committee of Prosperity and Splendour)’ policy statement, health and sports. Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) was sworn Chairmen. the composition of the Cabinet has been The Buddhist clergy invoked blessings on the in before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The The President repeatedly stressed the need for formulated in a pragmatic and realistic manner newly appointed Ministers, State Ministers and swearing- in in ceremony was held at the Magul an efficient Cabinet dedicated to building a to implement the national programme. Special Committee Chairmen. Maduwa (Audience Hall) in Kandy last morning prosperous nation in the future. attention was paid to national security, economic More on pages eight and nine. Out of Cabinet... Vanni District MP JJB nominates Ranil, Mangala, No portfolio rejects SLFPer’s offer Dr. Amarasuriya Patali, and Hakeem SLPP’s Kader Masthan summoned by PCoI for fmr President, approached to to Nat list BY FAADHILA THASSIM cross over BY ANURADHA HERATH several others Former Prime Minister Ranil BY W.K. PRASAD MANJU Academic Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has Wickremesinghe, former Ministers BY GAGANI WEERAKOON been nominated to the National List seat of Mangala Samaraweera, Patali Champika SLPP Vanni District the Jathika Jana Balawegaya (JJB). Ranawaka and Rauff Hakeem and seven A group of one-time Parliamentarian Kader The Election Commission has been others were issued notices to appear senior Cabinet Ministers of Masthan said, though informed of the decision taken by the before the Presidential Commission of the Sri Lanka Freedom he had received an Politburo of the JJB, their Leader Anura Inquiry (PCoI) appointed to probe Party (SLFP) and the Sri invitation from the Kumara Dissanayaka said. political victimisation of public officials Lanka Podujana Peramuna SLFP to join them, he Dr. Amarasuriya is a Senior Lecturer of during the tenure of the United National (SLPP) including former had declined the offer. the Department of Sociology at the Open Front Government. President Maithripala He noted, he will University of Sri Lanka. Chairman of the PCoI, retired Supreme Sirisena, who polled the continue to stay with Court Judge, Justice Upali Abeyratne, highest number of the SLPP. yesterday (12), ordered to issue notices preferential votes from He stated that a to the group of 11, including former Polonnaruwa did not get senior member from... Ministers Malik Samarawickrama and portfolios. CID grills Bathiudeen Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, Among those who had Story Continued on PAGE 2 President’s Counsel (PC) and former been holding portfolios in for six hours Parliamentarian Dr. Jayampathy all past SLFP-allied Wickramaratne, MPs M.A. Sumanthiran coalition Governments, but Handing over UNP BY CHAMARA AMARASURIYA PC, R. Sampanthan and Anura Kumara were not given any Cabinet Dissanayake, and J.C. Weliamuna PC to or State Ministerial leadership to Karu The Criminal appear before the PCoI on 21 August. portfolios this time around, apart from Sirisena, Investigations The notice was issued with regard to a includes Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Susil Vajira vehemently Department (CID) had complaint filed by the former Secretary Premajayantha, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Ranjith recorded a statement for to the Ministry of Economic Siyambalapitiya, Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, S.B. over six hours from Development, Dr. Nihal Jayathilaka, Dissanayake, Mahinda Samarasinghe, W.D.J. disapproves Samagi Jana claiming that his arrest in connection Seneviratne, Dilan Perera and Chandima Former United Balawegaya with the alleged misappropriation of Divi Weerakkody. National Front (UNF) Parliamentarian Rishad Neguma funds was politically motivated. Minister, Vajira Bathiudeen yesterday Abeywardena, had (12), in connection with Story Continued on PAGE 2 reportedly expressed its ongoing investigation his vehement into last year’s Easter disapproval to the Sunday terror attacks. Ravi K appears decision taken by the CID sources said that Arrest of K’gala Party to hand over its Bathiudeen had arrived at its premises at before Bribery Comm reins to former around 9:30 a.m. Speaker Karu Bathiudeen had previously given a BY CHAMARA AMARASURIYA Mayor stayed Jayasuriya, UNP statement to the CID office at the sources said. Irattaperiyakulam Police Station in Former Minister BY KAMAL WEERARATNA Meanwhile, he had maintained... Vavuniya as per an order by Court. Ravi Karunanayake was summoned to the The Court of Appeal (CoA), Story Continued on PAGE 2 Commission to yesterday (12), suspended the Investigate execution of warrants issued Allegations of Bribery for the arrest of Kurunegala Rs 10,000 a month to prevent arrest of heroin racketeer or Corruption Mayor Thushara Sanjeewa (CIABOC) yesterday Vitharana and Municipal (12), in order to record Engineer Chaminda Bandara Cop caught red handed a statement Adikari, by Kurunegala Chief pertaining to the Magistrate Sampath ongoing probe into the Hewawasam, until 24 BY CHAMARA AMARASURIYA Central Bank August. connected to a heroin smuggling racket. Treasury Bonds scam. The order was delivered by Officers from the Commission to According to the officers, they had Upon being summoned, Karunanayake a Bench comprising Justices Investigate Allegations of Bribery or nabbed the suspect when he had arrived on appeared before the Commission last A.H.M.D. Nawaz (President) Corruption, yesterday, (12) arrested a a motorcycle at the plaintiff’s residence at morning. and Justice Sobitha Police Constable (PC) attached to the Police Walpoladeniya in Mawanella to collect the The Commission has commenced an Rajakaruna, after having perused the writ petitions Narcotics Bureau, who had gone to obtain a money. investigation into this scam which had filed by the duo. bribe of Rs 10,000, which he had received The suspect was nabbed following a taken place during the tenure of the UNF monthly to prevent the arrest of a suspect complaint lodged with the Commission. -led regime. Story Continued on PAGE 2 A2 THURSDAY 13 AUGUST 2020 NEWS Commander Sumith Ranasinghe testifies at PCOI 23 DCC Chairs ‘Gota Camp’- used for Intelligence appointed purposes and not torture camp President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday appointed 23 District Coordinating Committee (DCC) Chairmen following the conclusion of BY FAADHILA THASSIM appointing the Cabinet. Commander Sumith They are as follows: Mullaitivu Ranasinghe said a gunsite 1. Pradeep Undugoda - Colombo 14. D. Weerasinghe - Ampara in the Trincomalee Naval 2. Sahan Pradeep Vithana - 15. Kapila Athukorala - Base used for Intelligence- Gampaha Trincomalee related purposes was 3. Sanjeewa Edirimann - Kalutara 16. Gunapala Rathnasekara - termed ‘Gota Camp, 4. WasanthaYapa Bandara - Kandy Kurunegala after the change of the 5. N. Nalaka Bandara Kottegoda - 17. Ashoka Priyantha - Puttalam Government in 2015 Matale 18. H. Nandasena - Anuradhapura certain persons claimed 6. S.B. Dissanayake - Nuwara Eliya 19. Amarakeerthi Athukorala - that it was used to detain 7. Sampath Athukorala - Galle Polonnaruwa 700 Liberation Tigers of 8. Nipuna Ranawaka - Matara 20. Sudarshana Denipitiya - Tamil Eelam members and 9. Upul Galappaththi - Hambantota Badulla was used as a torture 10. Angajan Ramanathan - Jaffna 21. Kumarasiri Rathnayaka - camp. 11. Douglas Devananda - Monaragala Testifying before the Kilinochchi 22. Akila Ellawala - Ratnapura Presidential Commission of He added that following a camp,’’ he added, noting He further added that the 12. K. Dileepa - Vavuniya 23. Rajika Wickramasinghe - Inquiry (PCoI) appointed to case filed against him at the that former Director of the former Government used 13. K. Kader Masthan - Mannar and Kegalle probe into political Colombo Fort Magistrate’s CID, Shani Abeysekera had Lieutenant victimisation of public Court in 2009, Chief also termed this site as Commodore K.C. officials during the tenure Inspector of Police of the ‘Gota camp’. Welagedara as one of the of the United National CID, Nishantha de Silva Ranasinghe testified main witnesses for this Front- led Government produced a B report using before the PCoI based on a case as Ranasinghe had yesterday (12), Ranasinghe the term ‘Gota Camp’ for the complaint filed by him previously provided noted that this term was specific site. ’’The site was claiming that his arrest statements against Two women sworn in by initially made to the Media used for purely Intelligence over the alleged abduction Welagedara over his alleged by former Parliamentarian related purposes and was of 11 youth was politically involvement in human President Rajapaksa Suresh Premachandran. not used as a site torture motivated. trafficking. Two females have been appointed Minister of Skills Development, as a Cabinet Minister and a State Vocational Education, Research Minister in the Government led by and Innovation, Dr. Seetha the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Arambepola. UNP to decide on leadership tomorrow (SLPP) that was sworn into office by Wanniarachchi received the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at highest number of preferential BY UPATISSA PERERA the Magul Maduwa (Audience Hall) votes from the Ratnapura District in Kandy yesterday (12). on the SLPP ticket, while Dr.