Cope Finds Failed Icta Projects Cost Rs 508M
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HIGHLIGHTS THURSDAY 10 December 2020 Violence LATEST EDITION on VOL: 10/017 PRICE : Rs 30.00 Women In Sports PAGE A5 All-rounder EU Must Gunarathne seals the deal for Kandy Break The arrival of Dale Steyn Brexit gave Kandy Tuskers the much-needed boost as he Deadlock executed his bowling... A16 PAGE A6 Five-Member Spl Forensic Experts’ Panel to conduct Mahara post-mortems at IDH COPE Finds Failed Magistrate postpones decision on ICTA Projects burial/cremation Says that the evidence along with the fact Cost Rs 508M that it is a criminal matter will be considered Requests for confidential autopsy reports Rs 278 million Electronic-Pension Valuation Dept ordered to assess property damages and losses Project a failure AG instructs CID on angles of the probe BY GAGANI WEERAKOON AND Pension Project, initiated by ICTA at has been spent on Project METHMALIE DISSANAYAKE a cost of Rs 278 million, is a promotions. Y UWAN AKNATH AYAKODY B R L J Coordinating Officer to the Attorney complete failure. ICTA had been COPE disclosed that Rs 850.47 AND HANSI NANAYAKKARA General, State Counsel Nishara The conduct of the Information and entrusted with the responsibility of million had been approved for the Jayaratne, who appeared on behalf Communication Technology Agency developing the hardware and Project ‘Lanka Government Network The Wattala-Welisara Magistrate of the Attorney General at the of Sri Lanka (ICTA) was heavily software for the Project using (LGN)’ in 2016 with the aim of Buddhika Sri Ragala, whilst inquest (case number criticised by the Parliament Government funding to initially establishing an efficient Government ordering post-mortems to be B/3118/2020) into the recent watchdog, the Committee on Public provide pensions online to the service by connecting Government conducted on the bodies of the 11 deaths of 11 prisoners at the Enterprises (COPE), on 8 December, pensioners of the Western Province institutions through a network and prisoners who died during the Mahara Prison, which resumed at as several projects initiated by the covering the District Secretariat, the Rs 148.33 million had been spent for recent Mahara Prison incident, had the Wattala-Welisara Magistrate’s ICTA have been complete failures in Armed Forces, the Department of the Project. COPE revealed that the said, a decision on whether to bury Court yesterday (9), made an recent years, causing a waste of Prisons, the Department of Railways progress of the Project was only 17 or cremate the deceased, application that the bodies about Rs 508.7 million. and the Department of Civil Defence. per cent. subsequent to the completion of the containing the COVID-19 infection COPE questioned ICTA as to what However, given various software and It was also revealed that Rs 32.5 autopsies, would be taken in should be cremated following the the logic behind initiating more hardware issues, the Project was not million had been spent for the consideration of the fact that this conclusion of the post-mortems in projects was when there are such implemented islandwide and was procurement of the Project by the concerns a criminal matter and order to prevent any harmful effects failures and ordered for a report on abandoned on 1 November 2013. National Intellectual Property Office also the evidence involved. to society, and requested that the the unsuccessful ICTA projects from Also, Rs 1.8 million has been spent under the name e-NIPO has been This decision was informed by Court give an order in this 2013 to 2019. to release Google Loon equipment utilised by ICTA to pay salaries of the Magistrate when the connection. It was revealed that the Electronic- from the Customs and Rs 6.4 million officials. Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 AG instructs DG Health Services Floating body COVID-19 dead not Plantation Sector hard Dutch Monk killed and claimed by relatives dumped in lagoon? hit by Virus spread Police teams, CID investigate to be cremated BY KEERTHI MENDIS, UPUL MAHESH, BY HANSI NANAYAKKARA KAMAL WIJEYEHEWA, DAMITH SADARUWAN, DHARMADASA SIRIWARDANE AND GUNAPALA IRATHNAWALLI Coordinating Officer to the Attorney General, State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne said, the Attorney The Senior DIG of the Southern Province Roshan General, Dappula De Livera PC has given instructions Silva yesterday (9), ordered several Police teams to to the Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela launch an immediate probe into the mysterious Gunawardena to forthwith cremate the bodies of death of a Dutch Buddhist Monk who passed away those who have succumbed to COVID-19 and have under suspicious circumstances while engaging in not been claimed by relatives. meditation at the Polgasduwa Temple in Rathgama. Story Continued on PAGE 2 He said, two Special Police Teams have been deployed and noted that a CID Team had also been brought from Colombo. Sri Lanka’s Story Continued on PAGE 2 COVID-19 cases pass BY SULOCHANA RAMIAH MOHAN control before a serious community spread Rs 2.3 billion 30,000 mark occurs and to do that all schools in the Fear is abound in the estate and Central Province should be closed, stated BY THAMEENAH RAZEEK, DILANTHI plantation sectors with the sudden surge former National Organiser of the National outstanding on JAYAMANNE, SULOCHANA RAMIAH MOHAN, in COVID-19 infections, especially in the Union of Labour and former Ambagamuwa M.A.P. DEEN (AMPARA CORRESPONDENT) AND Norwood area and several places in Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman G. Excise Dept earnings SHIRAN RANASINGHE Nuwara Eliya. Naguleswaran. He said, around 600 were It is reported that several teachers and detected as COVID-19 infected in the 2015-2019 The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country students have been infected. Kandy and Nuwara Eliya Districts, while exceeded 30,000 last night, Army Commander The situation should be brought under some schools were still operating. BY GAGANI WEERAKOON AND METHMALIE Shavendra Silva said. This follows the detection of DISSANAYAKE another 694 COVID-19 infections yesterday (9). Story Continued on PAGE 2 Outstanding revenue of the Excise Department Story Continued on PAGE 2 from 2015-2019 has been recorded as Rs 2.3 IGP not COVID-19 Deceiving Court through false evidence billion, the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) exposed on 7 December. positive HC refuses bail for The total amount of tax arrears was Rs 479.9 Allergy warning million by 31 December 2019, while delay charges BY CHAMARA AMARASURIYA Shani and Mendis were recorded as Rs 1,896.3 million. for Pfizer/BioNTech BY TONY K. ATHUKORALA- It has been confirmed that IGP MINUWANGODA Story Continued on PAGE 2 vaccine in UK Chandana D. Wickremaratne had not contracted COVID-19. Gampaha High Court Judge Nimal BY EMMA REYNOLDS, SHARON BRAITHWAITE Sources from the Police Department Ranaweera yesterday rejected the bail COVID-19 unclaimed dead to be cremated AND AMY CASSIDY stated that a PCR test had been applications filed on behalf of incarcerated Story Continued on PAGE 9 carried out on the IGP last Saturday ex-Director of the CID Shani Abeysekara and that the result had come the and a former Sub Inspector of the Government to following day. Embilipitiya Police Station Sugath Mendis. Mahara Prison unrest bear cost Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 interim report tabled – Dr. Asela Gunawardena in Parliament Anti-Corruption Day Statement BY DILANTHI JAYAMANNE The Government is to bear BY GAGANI WEERAKOON AND METHMALIE Citizens must play conscious role the cost of cremating COVID-19 ISSANAYAKE D unclaimed dead under in ridding corruption – President instructions of President Justice Minister, Mohamed Ali Sabry PC tabled the Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the interim report of the committee appointed by him to “Citizens have vouched their strong when they endorsed my victory with a Director General of Health probe the Mahara Prison unrest on 29 November in support and shown the desire to have an resounding majority”, President Gotabaya Services (DGHS), Dr. Asela Parliament yesterday (9). efficient country which is corruption free Rajapaksa said. Gunawardena said. Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 9 Story Continued on PAGE 2 A2 THURSDAY 10 DECEMBER 2020 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Government to... Dutch monk... COPE Finds... Dr. Gunawardena said the majority of families of The late monk’s body, identified Police said that to get to the Furthermore, the Project launched under the name the COVID-19 deceased were finding it difficult to as being that of Ven. Olande bottom of the story, they would ‘e-Local Authorities’ which had failed was re-launched in bear the expense of cremating the bodies of infected (Holland – Netherlands) record statements from around 13 2016. Although Rs 39 million had been spent as at 31 relatives and loved ones. The President issued a Jinarathana Thera, had been found Buddhist monks who had resided at December 2017, this fact had not been included in the directive to conduct all COVID-19 cremations for by the Rathgama Police while it had the Temple as well as from devotees performance reports. which the expenses would be obtained from the been floating in the Rathgama who had associated with the late COPE Chairman Dr. Charitha Herath revealed that the Ministry of Disaster Management. Lagoon on 4 December. Police said monk. 2017 corporate plan which was made at a cost of Rs 2.7 Earlier, the Health Ministry said that instructions the monk was found with his legs Meanwhile, Police said that a million had been discarded without being forwarded for had been issued to cremate the bodies of the COVID- tied with concrete blocks. Police separate inquiry would also be approval. 19 dead whose families had not come forward to suspect that the monk’s death conducted to ascertain whether the claiming them owing to financial difficulties, could be deemed as a murder.