WEDNESDAY 7 october 2020 LATEST EDITION VOL: 09/247 PRICE : Rs 30.00 In Sports Eastern and Western Warriors win on day two Prima Stella Eastern Warriors and Melbn Western Warriors recorded wins on the second day of the inaugural Legal Action Army Commander’s T20... A16 Initiated For Only 303 Child Brandix COVID-19 Abuse Cases Cluster Expands Out of 3,900 cases 832 test 1,317 students investigated in 2020 positive home quarantined BY GAGANI WEERAKOON AND METHMALIE abuse related complaints in DISSANAYAKE the first nine months of 2020. 80 CMC employees In a shocking revelation “Out of them, only 3,900 made in Parliament have been fully yesterday (6), Education investigated. However, subjected to PCR testing Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris prosecution has been said, prosecution has been initiated only in 303 cases. initiated only for 303 child I am not at all satisfied with abuse cases out of 3,900 the number of cases that cases that have been fully have been fully 22 quarantined in Jaffna investigated from 1 investigated. We will take January to 23 September steps to increase the 2020. efficiency of the Responding to an Oral investigations,” he said. Question raised by National The Minister also 50 Navy personnel quarantined People’s Power (NPP) revealed that of such child- National List MP Dr. Harini victims, the number of Amarasuriya, Prof. Peiris those engaged in studies in Dambakolapatuna said the National Child (formal and/informal) as Protection Authority (NCPA) before as a percentage is as BY DILANTHI JAYAMANNE has received 6,063 child low as 9%. Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 Rishad ACTC MP DIG Ajith Former DIG CID Rohana new removed over causes uproar internal irregularities lambasts Tissa Police Spokesman – Keheliya BY W.K. PRASAD MANJU in Parliament SSP Jaliya Senaratne fired BY THAMEENAH Informed political sources revealed that All Ceylon Alleges SL Army RAZEEK Muslim Congress MP Rishad Bathiudeen, whose BY CHAMARA party is a constituent member of the SJB alliance in AMARASURIYA Former DIG of the Parliament, had reportedly berated SJB National killed Balachandran CID Nuwan List MP Tissa Attanayake. BY GAGANI WEERAKOON AND SSP Jaliya Wedasinghe was The SJB Parliamentary Group Meeting had taken METHMALIE DISSANAYAKE Senaratne, who removed from his place chaired by Opposition Leader Sajith functioned as Police post due to the Premadasa at 3:30 p.m. on 5 October at the A statement made by All Ceylon Tamil Media Spokesman, has irregularities related Parliament Complex, when the incident had taken Congress (ACTC) MP Selvarajah Gajendran been fired from his post to releasing of MP place. concerning the death of LTTE Leader with immediate effect, Rishad Bathiudeen’s Prabhakaran’s son, Balachandran, and replaced by brother, Riyaj Story Continued on PAGE 2 sparked angry remarks in the Parliament ex-Police Media Bathiudeen, Cabinet Chamber yesterday (6). Spokesman,... Spokesperson During the debate on the Finance ... Keheliya Story Continued on PAGE 2 Rambukwella claimed. Riyaj released Story Continued on PAGE 2 He emphasised, Wedasinghe’s transfer is a result of his activities and COVID-19 cluster at misconduct, while releasing Riyaj as there was no NIC, Immigration Bathiudeen. Minuwangoda facility When asked whether the Government Depts suspend services interfere in this regard, he stated the evidence – Chamal Police and CID work independently Due to the prevailing COVID-19 Brandix says disregarding political interference. Y AGANI EERAKOON B G W situation in the country, the AND METHMALIE Department of Registration of Persons DISSANAYAKE doing its utmost Story Continued on PAGE 2 has suspended its services from today (7) to Friday 9 October said Brandix, in a statement on the Minister of Irrigation Chamal Commissioner General P. Viyani identification of COVID-19-infected 19A was the ‘Silk Road’ that Rajapaksa yesterday (6), told Gunathillake. employees at its Minuwangoda facility said, made Gotabaya President Parliament that MP Rishad When contacted, he said, the decision “Following the initial identification of a Bathiudeen’s brother Riyaj was taken to avoid public gatherings COVID-19-infected employee at our 20A could be used Bathiudeen was released from and continuation of the suspension manufacturing facility in Minuwangoda, we CID custody, as there was no would depend on the virus spread. would like to share updates in our to harm President evidence to prove he aided and Gunathilake stated that only head possession thus far in an effort to keep the abetted to carry out the Easter offices and provincial offices such as general public and all relevant stakeholders by his successor Sunday terror attacks in 2019. Vavuniya, Batticaloa, Galle and updated during this period. Kurunegala will be closed for public... “A total of 1,394 Brandix employees... – Wijeyadasa Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 The Government has not properly understood the impact Ranil tells PCoI into Easter bombings of the 20th Arjuna quits Amendment to the Constitution on the Former Sri Lanka skipper- President, said turned MP, Arjuna Sirisena had minimum support Parliamentarian Dr. Ranatunga, who functioned Wijeyadasa as UNP Gampaha District BY BUddHIKA before the Presidential Rajapakshe. Leader has resigned from his SAMARAWEERA Commission of Inquiry into the He also said, if the post. bombings on Easter Sunday, 21 20th Amendment is Submitting a letter to Party Former President Maithripala April 2019, yesterday (6). passed, the President Leader Ranil Sirisena never got the necessary An additional Solicitor General would have to sharpen the ‘powerful Wickremesinghe, Ranatunga support and I, therefore, took (ASG) asked the witness about sword’ named Presidency in the next two said, it would not be steps to provide the support to the statement made by former to three years. appropriate for him to him in consultation with relevant President Sirisena who testified “But the Government is yet to realise continue to be the Leader of parties, including the Sri Lanka before the Commission on 5 that if that sword falls into the wrong the Gampaha District, as it is Freedom Party (SLFP), said September, that he had received hands after the incumbent President, it newly-elected Deputy Leader, former Prime Minister Ranil the support of the Government, will be in turn used to slit the throat of Ruwan Wijewardene’s Wickremesinghe. Parliament and the Prime the incumbent,” he said. electorate. Wickremesinghe was testifying Minister for only a period... He noted that the 19th Amendment... Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 A2 WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER 2020 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Brandix COVID-19... With the number of COVID- homes, while the military was he said. Some 1,317 students Colombo Municipal Council said the situation could only Some 50 Navy personnel 19 patients being reported to take measures to transfer from Minuwangoda Sri (CMC) were also to be subject worsen if this employee too were also quarantined in from Brandix, Minuwangoda them to quarantine facilities. Gnanawasa Maha Vidyalaya to PCR tests, after a tested positive for the virus. Dambakolapatuna, Jaffna, as facility reaching 832 by late Supervisory PHI in were home quarantined co-employee whose mother However, she would be placed they had travelled in the same last evening (6), the Minuwangoda, S. Kulatillake, following the detection of the served at the Brandix facility in in quarantine. compartment with the nurse possibilities of more cases were said only 10 Grama Niladhari first patient, whose daughter Minuwangoda tested positive Provincial Director of Health who had taken care of the first looming, with more patients Divisions in the area had not also tested positive for the for COVID-19, and reported to Services of the Northern COVID-19 patient identified connected to the cluster being reported any cases so far, with virus. Her 47 classmates and work last Friday (2). However, Province, Dr. A. from the Brandix cluster, Navy reported from Jaffna, the numbers of patients tested teachers and minor staff were the Chief of the Public Health Sathyamurthy, said 22 Spokesman, Capt. Indika de Batticaloa, Kurunegala, positive for the deadly virus all subjected to PCR testing, Department of the Colombo persons in Jaffna had been Silva said. Moneragala, and several other increasing in the villages while the test results were Municipal Council (PHD-CMC) quarantined following the Meanwhile, Police declared parts of the country. surrounding the facility. negative, he said.However, said the woman had last detection of another employee curfew in Minuwangoda, Meanwhile, all employees However, it is a blessing that they will still be quarantined reported to work on Friday, from the apparel factory in Divulapitiya, Veyangoda and working in the Minuwangoda none of the schoolchildren in for 14 days. two days prior to the first Minuwangoda. The patient the Gampaha Police facility and their families were Grade 11 on whom PCR tests Further, 80 persons serving patient being identified from had been transferred to Jurisdictions in the Gampaha asked not to step out of their were conducted tested positive, in the Project Division of the the Minuwangoda facility. He Welikanda Hospital. District. Legal Action... 20A could be.... Sirisena had... It was also revealed that of the abused ...of six months after coming opposition from a number of child victims, 5,667 children are presently ... was the Silk Road briefing in Colombo he made was a sign of a to power. parties such as Ven. living with family members, while 396 such for President Gotabaya yesterday (6), Dr. party change, Dr. Wickremesinghe said that Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera victims have been taken away from their Rajapaksa becoming Rajapakshe further Rajapakshe said that since former President for holding the post of families and placed either with trusted President and added said the ‘Silk Road’ he was not engaged in Chandrika Bandaranaike Chairman of the SLFP after relatives or in child development centres.