SRI LANKA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER I SINCE 1918 WEDNESDAY MARCH 3, 2021 I 32 PAGES I VOLUME - 103 - NO 53 RS. 30.00 I REGISTERED AS A NEWSPAPER IN SRI LANKA I LATE CITY ★ CABINET NOD FOR COLOMBO PORT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (APSEZ Consortium) and ‘Hope India will vote in INVESTORS FROM INDIA, JAPAN FOR WCT the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). Sri Lanka’s favour at In line with this decision, BOT BASIS FOR 35 YEARS Cabinet approval has been granted to develop the WCT ISHARA MUDUGAMUWA UNHRC’: Foreign Secretary of the Colombo South Port as The Cabinet of Ministers has a public-private partnership in Sri Lanka’s Foreign approved a proposal made by collaboration with the SLPA Secretary Admiral Ports and Shipping Minister and parties nominated by Indi- (Retd) Jayanath Colom- to develop the West Container an and Japanese Governments bage on Monday said Terminal (WCT) of the Colom- and also to appoint a negotia- that he expects India bo Port on a Build, Operate tions Committee and a project to stand by and vote and Transfer (BOT) basis for a committee to evaluate the pro- in favour of Sri Lanka period of 35 years as a public- posals in this regard. Accord- ahead of next week’s private partnership with Adani ingly, the BOT plan approved UNHRC sessions on the country’s rights Ports and Special Economic by the Negotiating Committee and accountability record. Zone Ltd (APSEZ Consorti- has been forwarded to the High In an interview to India Today TV, he um) and its local representa- Commission of India and the said “Abstention will not hamper ties.But tive John Keells Holding PLC Embassy TO PAGE 02 India’s great leader speaks of ‘Neighbour- hood First’.We are immediate neighbours,” Jayanath Colombage said. TO PAGE 02 SLAF pays tribute to all who saved Iranativu set apart Woman who beat infant held in Jaffna the Nation marking 70 years to bury COVID dead ISHARA MUDUGAMUWA SHAVINI MADHARA The Iranaitivu Island in the North has been iden- The woman who inhumanely beat her infant tified as the site to bury COVID-19 victims in Sri son, as witnessed in a video currently circu- Lanka, Co-Cabinet Spokesman Mass Media lated in social media, was arrested yesterday Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. morning in Jaffna. Police Media Spokesper- Speaking at the media confer- son DIG Ajith Rohana said the beating was ence held yesterday at the Govern- carried out by a 24-years-old woman from ment Information Department to Navaldi area in Ariyalai, Jaffna. The infant inform the decisions taken at this was taken under police custody for his future week’s Cabinet meeting, Minister care and attention, DIG Ajith Rohana said. Rambukwella TO PAGE 02 It was revealed that the arrested woman had arrived in the country with the infant over a month ago from Kuwait. Police initiated an investigation into this AG gets 65 volumes of brutal act of the woman after video footage on social media brought the incident to light. Easter Attacks PCoI report 22 Volumes not given Woman’s headless body DILSHAN THARAKA Air Force Commander Air Marshal Attorney General Dappula de Livera received 65 carried from Hanwella Sudharshana Pathirana address- volumes of the proceedings of the Presidential Com- ing the 70th anniversary event at The march past held at the SLAF Base in Katunayake to mark the 70th anniversary of the Sri mission to Inquiry (PCoI) probing Easter Sunday Police seek assistance the SLAF Base in Katunayake. Lanka Air Force yesterday. Pictures by Kelum Liyanage. Attacks from the Secretary to the President yesterday. Attorney General’s Coordinating Officer State to trace murder suspect CAMELIA NATHANIEL 2, 1951, over a period of seventy years, personnel who sacrificed their lives in Counsel Nishara Jayaratne said that there are 87 The Sri Lanka Air Force 70th Anniver- the Sri Lanka Air Force has been serv- active duty, and those who are today volumes of proceedings of the PCoI and 22 volumes SHAVINI MADHARA sary celebrations began at the Katunayake ing the country and protecting its third disabled having given their all to protect were not handed over to the Attorney General due to The bus which was used to carry the Air Force Base yesterday morning under dimension while maintaining territorial our motherland. the sensitive nature of evidence pertaining to national headless body of a woman found in a suit- the patronage of the 18th Air Force integrity and unity. Coinciding with the 70th Air Force security. case left behind in Dam Street in Colombo Commander Air Marshal Sudharshana During the Air Force Commander’s Anniversary celebrations numerous On a previous occasion, Attorney General Dappula on Monday (01), was taken into police Pathirana. address to the troops, he made it a point events have been organized including de Livera received the report (Volume 1) of the PCoI custody, Police Media Spokesperson DIG From its humble beginnings on March to pay tribute to all the brave Air Force religious observances, TO PAGE 02 from the Secretary to the President. Ajith Rohana said. TO PAGE 02 Corruption PCOI recommends ‘White van’ press con; Case against Strictures against Ranil, COPA committee probes irregularities Rajitha, Rumi fixed for April 28 in registering dual-purpose vehicles LAKMAL SOORIYAGODA connection with the controver- former ministers The case filed against former sial ‘White Van Press Confer- DHANUSHKA GODAKUMBURA Health Minister Rajitha Sena- ence’ during the 2019 Presi- ratne and former State Phar- dential Election was yesterday The Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) maceuticals Corporation (SPC) fixed for April 28 by Colombo that probed the allegations of corruption and fraud Chairman Rumi Mohammed in High Court. TO PAGE 02 in public institutions between 2015 and 2018 had recommended taking action against former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, former Ministers Sajith Premadasa, Lakshman Kiriella, Dr Rajitha Allegations of match fixing during LPL 2020 Senaratne, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Duminda Dis- sanayake and P. Harrison for misuse of public funds and other offences. COPA Chairman Prof.Tissa Vitharana. The PCoI final report was presented to the Cabinet Cricketer Sacithra’s anticipatory on Monday.The report has also recommended action The Committee on Public Accounts yawanna was appointed Chairman of against several public officials and Ministerial staff (COPA) Chairman Prof. Tissa Vitarana the Sub Committee and State Minis- members. has appointed a special sub-committee ters Dr.Sudarshani Fernandopulle and bail application rejected The Commission was appointed by former Presi- to investigate into the loss of revenue to Duminda Dissanayake, MPs Ashok dent Maithripala Sirisena on January 14, 2019. The the Government in registering vehicles Abeysinghe, Dr.Harini Amarasuriya SHAVINI MADHARA to the Lanka Premier League Cabinet approved to present the report to Parliament imported for special purposes as dual- and Weerasumana Weerasinghe were The anticipatory bail applica- 2020 cricket tournament, was for further action. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa purpose vehicles. appointed members. tion filed by former Sri Lanka rejected by Colombo Additional informed the Cabinet that the copies of the report He took this initiative at the COPA The committee drew attention to the cricketer Sachithra Senanayake Magistrate Kanchana Neranja- were went to the Attorney General and Commission meeting held in Parliament recently. Special Purpose Vehicle Identification to prevent him na Silva yesterday. to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption This meeting was convened to review Codes (HS Code) used by the Sri Lanka from being taken The Magistrate made this to implement the recommendations of the PCoI. the Auditor General’s Reports for the Customs and the changes that can be into custody over order as the facts of the antici- The report has recommended action against the year 2017-2018 and the current perfor- seen in the identification of vehicles for a match-fixing patory bail application have not above mentioned politicians for obtaining a private mance of the Customs. special purposes by the Motor Traffic incident linked been completed. TO PAGE 02 building for the Agriculture TO PAGE 02 State Minister Lasantha Alagi- Department. TO PAGE 02 DN page 2 NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 Cabinet nod for Colombo... From page 01 of Japan requesting them to nominate investors. Single dose of AstraZeneca The proposal presented by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd has been approved by the Indian High Commission. No investor has been named by the Japanese govern- ment so far. jab reduces hospitalisations The Government had called on the Japanese Govern- ment to collaborate in the development project. The Cabinet appointed Negotiating Committee has Matt Hancock, the UK health secretary, that data on individuals aged over 70 Hancock ended the press conference by will be able to break the link from cases presented its recommendations based on the discus- has described as “extremely good news” showed that for both Pfizer and the Astra- saying the link between COVID infections through to hospitalisations and to deaths, sions held between the two parties. data showing that a single dose of the Zeneca jabs there was vaccine effectiveness and deaths had now been broken. He said: and until now in the pandemic that link Earlier, based on several factors, the Government Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine reduces risk against illness of approximately 60% after “The effectiveness of the vaccine on pro- from cases through to hospitalisations and decided to develop the East Container Terminal (ECT) of hospitalisation in over-80s by more than one dose. Van-Tam went on: “This shows tecting people, and on reducing transmis- deaths has been unbreakable. And we have of the Colombo Port through the SLPA instead of the 80%. He announced the findings at a No 10 us how, if we are patient and we give this sion, is critical to the roadmap [for lifting demonstrated with the data today that the proposed tie-up with Indian and Japanese investors, press conference.