HIGHLIGHTS WEDNESDAY Amazing 19 august 2020 Parallels LATEST EDITION Between VOL: 09/212 PRICE : Rs 30.00 Belarus In Sports and US Namal set to PAGE A6 introduce a new Russia - Central Sports Act Sports Minister Namal Balancing Force of Rajapaksa, who assumed duties yesterday, mulls Indian Ocean Diplomacy replacing the 1973 Sri Lanka Sports Act with a new one. PAGE A7 A16 Attempt to bribe Dompe OIC thwarted CIABOC Officers apprehend suspect BY CHAMARA AMARASURIYA To restore national A suspect was apprehended by officers transmission grid of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption AG’s Dept reduces yesterday (18), on charges of attempting to backlog in child offer a bribe of Rs 200,000 to the Officer-in- Hourly Power Cuts Charge of the Dompe abuse cases Police Station, Chief Finalises 12,968 cases, Inspector (CI) of Police, Roshan Sanjeewa, to 851 cases pending prevent the law being enforced on the two BY HANSI NANAYAKKARA suspects arrested on charges of drug Until 21 August Attorney General, Dappula de Livera smuggling. BY METHMALIE DISSANAYAKE August, due to the restoration of the has finalised details of 12,968 cases of The suspect was national transmission grid, General child abuse over the last 18 months. arrested at the OIC’s The power supply countrywide is Manager of the Ceylon Electricity Board Coordinating Officer to the Attorney Office when he attempted scheduled to be suspended for an hour on a (CEB), Keerthi Karunaratne said yesterday General, State Counsel Nishara... to bribe the Officer. daily basis in a staggered manner until 21 (18). Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 Pillaiyan, Jayasekara Dubai-based Two seats in Chamber President’s vacant tomorrow allowed to attend underworld figure Policy Statement lured PNB officers Inaugural day of at 9th Parliament Parliament Ninth Parliament to BY KANAGARASAH BY KAVINDYA PERERA Opposition to be given SARAVANAN AND J.T. DE kick off sans UNP chance to debate SILVA Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) Dileepa Peiris yesterday (18) informed Colombo Secretary General of Opposition MPs Batticaloa Civil Appellate Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratna, an Parliament Dhammika will be given an High Court Judge D. underworld character known as Udara Dassanayake opportunity on 21 Susaidasan yesterday (18), Sampath, based in Dubai, United Arab yesterday (18), said August to air their granted permission to Tamil Emirates, had coaxed certain Police two seats in the views in Parliament Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal Narcotics Bureau (PNB) officers to peddle Chamber would be on President (TMVP) Leader and drugs. kept vacant tomorrow Gotabaya Parliamentarian (20), on the inaugural Rajapaksa’s Policy Sivanesathurai Story Continued on PAGE 2 day of the Ninth Statement, which is Chandrakanthan alias Parliament as the UNP to be made when Pillaiyan, who has been and the Ape Jana Bala the Ninth detained at the Batticaloa DSG tells Commission Party have failed to Parliament is Prison, as a suspect in the name their National ceremonially assassination of former Tamil List Parliamentarians inaugurated National Alliance Batticaloa Directors by 14 August. tomorrow (20). District MP Joseph Both Parties secured Parliament sources said, a debate Pararajasingham, to attend responsible for one National List slot each at the General pertaining to the President’s policy the maiden session of the Election. However, they failed to name statement will be held from 9:30 a.m. to Ninth Parliament when it irregularities at ETI MPs to fill the slots due to intra-Party 4:30 p.m. on 21 August. (JT) convenes tomorrow (20). Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) conflicts. The Election Commission (EC) Chandrakanthan, who is Priyantha Nawana told the Presidential has therefore not gazetted their National the main suspect in the Commission investigating irregularities List MPs. murder of Pararajasingham, and misappropriations which took place The EC had to obtain advice from the was arrested on 11 October at ETI yesterday (18), the Board of Attorney General regarding the Ape Jana Alleged political 2015 and has been in remand for over four Directors of ETI should be held directly Bala Party’s National List MP as the Party years. responsible for the irregularities faces uncertainty regarding its General victimisation TMVP members and Prison Officials had made uncovered at the Commission. Secretary post, as a result, the National a request to Court to allow Chandrakanthan to The Deputy Solicitor General said this, List MP’s name could not be gazetted by attend the maiden session of Parliament. when for the first time members of ETI... 14 August. (MD and TR) Ranil, Mangala, Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 Patali, Rauff, eight others Maintaining links with Rifkan Bathiudeen assisted big-time drug traffickers before PCoI Zaharan to flee to India – Witness BY FAADHILA THASSIM Seven more PNB BY BUddHIKA He was testifying before Fernando on 7 April 2019. Former Prime Minister Ranil SAMARAWEERA the Presidential Commission He also said, Mendis had Wickremesinghe and former Ministers Officers in the net of Inquiry (PCoI) probing the in return sent him a report Mangala Samaraweera, Patali Champika In a report which I received bombings on 21 April 2019 on 8 April 2019, detailing Ranawaka, Rauff Hakeem and eight BY KAVINDYA PERERA from the then Chief of Easter Sunday, yesterday Zaharan’s latest activities. others were issued notice to appear National Intelligence, Sisira (18). That report contained before the Presidential Commission of The CID yesterday (18), named seven more Police Mendis on 8 April 2019, it On 7 April 2019, the SIS information that he had fled Inquiry (PCoI) appointed to probe into Narcotics Bureau (PNB) Officials as suspects, for was mentioned that National received information from a to India with the help of the alleged political victimisation of maintaining contacts with big-time drug Thowheed Jama’ath (NTJ) foreign Intelligence agency Rifkan. “But I informed him public officials during the tenure of the traffickers. Leader, Zaharan Hashim that a group including about certain contradictory former United National Front-led The seven officers, who were named as suspects had fled to India with the Zaharan was planning to facts in it, because no such Government. by the CID, are Lionel Jayaratna who is presently assistance of Rifkan launch an attack in Sri information had been Chairman of the Commission, retired incarcerated and six others who are currently Bathiudeen, brother of Lanka, he added. He also reported to the SIS,” he Supreme Court Judge, Justice Upali being interrogated on detention orders, namely W. former Minister Rishad said, the information was noted. The witness also said, Abeyratne ordered to issue notice to Udara Pathiranahewa, Sumedha Weerasingha, W. Bathiudeen, said former forwarded to former CNI Mendis had then told him these individuals to appear before the Upali Ratnayaka, Nirosh Madusanka de Silva, R. Director of the State Sisira Mendis, then IGP that he would discuss the Commission on 7 September as Don Anil and Ruwan Alwis. Intelligence Service (SIS), Pujith Jayasundara and matter with Fernando and respondents to a complaint filed by the The Prison Department Officers informed SDIG Nilantha then Secretary to the get back to SDIG former Director General of the Divi Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratna... Jayawardana. Ministry of Defence Hemasiri Jayawardana. Neguma, R.A.A.K. Ranawaka. Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 A2 WEDNESDAY 19 AUGUST 2020 NEWS Possession of illegal passport charge Fmr SIS Director Jayawardena Jailor who tells Easter Attacks PCoI worshipped Shashi claims I acted on foreign Kanjipani Imran intelligence BY BUDDHIKA SAMARAWEERA absconds political If the former Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) or BY KUMUDU UPUL SHANTHA the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence says I did not pay enough attention to the information provided by a Prisons Department sources said though the Jailor foreign Intelligence agency regarding a possible terror from the Boossa Prison, who is alleged to have bowed to attack in April 2019, I have sufficient technical noted gangster and death row inmate Kanjipani Imran, victimisation evidence to prove it wrong, former Director of the State had been transferred to the Vavuniya Prison a fortnight BY KAVINDYA PERERA was legal and valid. The case Intelligence Service (SIS), Senior DIG Nilantha ago, he had still not reported for duty. connected to the possession of an Jayawardena said. According to Department sources, the Jailor in Shashi Weerawansa, the wife of illegal passport, filed against Shashi He was testifying yesterday (18) before the question had reportedly applied for sick leave. Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa, was taken up for Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) probing the However, a Department source added the probe into Weerawansa, yesterday (18), claimed hearing yesterday. bombings on 21 April 2019 Easter Sunday. his conduct will not be halted. that she had never possessed an President’s Counsel Shavendra He said he had informed former IGP Pujith A video containing footage of the Jailor bowing down to illegal passport and charged that the Fernando appeared for the defendant Jayasundara, former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Imran at the Boossa Prison had been sent to the cell case against her had been filed with Weerawansa, while the prosecution Fernando and former CNI Sisira Mendis on 7 April phone of Defence Secretary, Retired Major General the sinister aim of political was represented by Deputy Solicitor 2019, about information provided by a Foreign Kamal Gunaratne. Gunaratne said so at an event in victimisation. General Dileepa Peiris and officers Intelligence Unit that a terrorist attack could take Colombo recently. She was making a statement from from the Criminal Investigations place in Sri Lanka. the dock of the Colombo Chief Department (CID). Members of the PCoI then questioned the witness as Magistrate’s Court.