HIGHLIGHTS MONDAY 30 november 2020 Nation LATEST EDITION State and VOL: 10/009 PRICE : Rs 30.00 Sovereignty In Sports Sri Lanka fielding PAGE A6 woes highlighted Prabakaran vs Wijeweera in LPL The COVID-19 Pandemic kept cricketers indoors for months with their daily training schedules cut off, and most of them looked rusty during on the field in the Lanka Premier League. A16 PAGE A9 PHI shortage a Tense situation at Mahara Prison serious problem Only 2,700 PHIs Seven COVID-19 Four Killed in in the country deaths reported Isolation order lifted in areas of Colombo, Gampaha Attempted Jailbreak BY DILANTHI JAYAMANNE, THAMEENAH RAZEEK AND SHIRAN RANASINGHE The number of COVID-19 infected persons in the 24 injured and STF and Police Fire breaks out, six fire Colombo Municipal area is increasing on a daily basis but the number of Public Health Inspectors hospitalised deployed brigade trucks douse flames (PHIs) deployed by the Council is inadequate, Deputy President of the PHIs Association H.A.V.C. BY THAMEENAH RAZEEK Mahara Prison, tested COVID-19 Kulatillaka said adding that work related to positive yesterday (29), increasing identifying infected persons was slowing down. Four prisoners were killed and the total number of COVID-19 Although the Government Medical Officers’... 24 others were injured, when cases reported in the prisons to Prison officers opened fire on some 1,091. Story Continued on PAGE 2 inmates who attempted to escape Among the 183, were seven from the Mahara Prison yesterday prison officials and 176 inmates, (29) evening. Commissioner of Prisons Former Govt’s Counter Terrorism Act As a result, a tense situation (Administration), Chandana erupted at the Prison and the Ekanayake, said. Special Task Force and additional He also said that among the Draft did not Police teams were called in to beef total number of COVID-19 up security. infected persons, identified within include experts’ Police Spokesman DIG Ajith the prison system, eight were Rohana confirmed that the female prison officials, 50 male inmates had tried to escape from Divisions were sent to Mahara Committee headed by Secretary to prison officials, 156 female proposals the Prison. The injured prisoners Prison, to control the situation. the Ministry of Prison Reforms to inmates and 877 male inmates. were admitted to hospital. Meanwhile, a team from the probe the unrest. He further added that so far, – Ajith Rohana In addition, four Police teams, Special Task Force was deployed A fire broke out in the Prison more than 10,000 PCR tests have BY BUDDHIKA headed by a Senior to beef up security at the outer yesterday. Six fire brigade trucks been conducted within the SAMARAWEERA Superintendent of Police, attached perimeter of the prison. were deployed to douse the fire, country’s prison system to to Kelaniya and the Officer-in Meanwhile, Minister sources said, identify COVID-19 infected Police Media Spokesman, DIG Charge of the Ragama Police Fernandopulle appointed a A total of 183 individuals, at the persons. Ajith Rohana said many of the proposals made by the expert committee to the Counter Terrorism Act,mooted during the previous Yahapalana Minor drug offences Government, were not included Cops get suspect Train, bus in the draft. Giving evidence before the Suspects to be tracking App Presidential Commission of services to Inquiry into the bombings on Easter Sunday, on 27 enlarged on bail BY SAPUMAL JAYASENA November, he added that even issues related to extremism were proposed but not included in the BY W.K. PRASAD MANJU An application to trace suspects within resume today draft. seconds will be installed on mobile phones Suspects remanded for possessing less of Police Officers, Minister of Public Security, BY BUDDHIKA SAMARAWEERA AND Story Continued on PAGE 2 than two grams of heroin will be treated as Rear Admiral (Retd) Dr. Sarath SHIRAN RANASINGHE drug addicts and enlarged on bail, to Weerasekara, told Ceylon Today. Dr. reduce congestion in prisons, State Weerasekara said the application will General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Easter Attacks PCoI Minister of Prison Reforms, Dr. compare fingerprints of suspects with a Station Masters' Union, Kasun Chamara, Sudarshani Fernandopulle, told Ceylon database in Colombo and identify criminals said the Railway Department had taken Today. instantly. Police Officers can obtain their steps to resume services, which were Dr. Fernandopulle said the decision was criminal record. limited during the weekend, from today Sirisena’s PSO taken at a discussion with Justice He further said civil defence committees (30). Minister Ali Sabry, IGP C.D. will be set up at village level, to obtain He said train services on the main line, Wickramaratne, and senior officials of the information regarding drug trafficking and Chilaw, Northern, coastal and Kelani testifies Attorney General’s Department. underworld activities. Valley railway lines were limited on Saturday and Sunday. However, from BY BUDDHIKA SAMARAWEERA Story Continued on today, all office and passenger trains will PAGE 2 run as usual. SI Priyantha Pushpakumara, who was former Chamara further said trains will not President Maithripala Sirisena's Personal Security A mother has a right Sumanthiran cannot stop at stations located in isolated areas Officer (PSO) during the former’s private Singapore Meanwhile, Chairman of the Sri Lanka visit on 16 April 2019, testified before the to commemorate her commemorate LTTE Transport Board (SLTB), Attorney-at-Law Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Easter leaders – Weerasekara Kingsley Ranawaka, told Ceylon Today Sunday Bombings. dead son – Sumanthiran that more SLTB buses will operate from Pushpakumara is still serving as the PSO of Minister of Public Security, today (30). Sirisena and testified before the Commission on 27 Member of Parliament M.A. Sarath Weerasekara, said TNA MP M.A. Ranawaka said private bus associations November. Sumanthiran said every mother has a Sumanthiran has no right to commemorate have also agreed to operate more buses. However, the Commission observed that there were right to commemorate the death of a son. LTTE leaders. some discrepancies between the evidence given by He was responding to Minister of Public Sumanthiran participated in a Story Continued on PAGE 2 the former President and the evidence given by... Security Sarath Weerasekara in commemoration of an LTTE leader who died Parliament. in 1979. This person was a childhood friend Story Continued on PAGE 2 “I appeared on behalf of an 83-year-old of Velupillai Prabhakaran, Weerasekara told woman called Sinnathurai Maheshwari at Parliament. “How can MP Sumanthiran be UK appoints Jaffna High Court for her son Pandithan in Parliament after commemorating the who died in 1985. death of an LTTE leader; he has taken an Vaccine Minister “This mother commemorates the death oath to safeguard a unitary State?,” he of her son in November each year. queried. British Prime Minister Boris Story Continued on Johnson has Story Continued on PAGE 2 PAGE 2 named Nadhim Zahawi, currently a junior business Minister, as the Doval meets President Minister responsible for BY PANEETHA COVID-19 vaccine NSA Meet held after six years AMERESEKERE deployment, in a sign that the BY PANEETHA AMERESEKERE National Security Adviser Government is of India,Ajit Doval who readying a mass Nadhim Zahawi The 4th National Security Adviser (NSA) level arrived in the island on vaccination (parliament.uk) Trilateral Meeting on Maritime Security Friday (27) evening called on programme. Cooperation hosted by Sri Lanka in Colombo took President Gotabaya Zahawi will report to Health Minister place on Saturday (28 November 2020) after a six- Rajapaksa at the Presidential Matt Hancock in his new role, with his year lapse, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) said Secretariat on Saturday primary focus on vaccine deployment yesterday (Sunday). evening, the Presidential although he will keep some of his The three countries which physically participated Media Unit said yesterday. business responsibilities. at this event were India, Sri Lanka and the Rajapaksa and Doval A statement from the Prime Minister's Maldives. India was represented at this event by engaged in a fruitful office on Saturday (28) added that the Ajit Doval (NSA), Maldives by its Defence Minister discussion aimed at further Indo-Lanka security Indian Ocean region and new arrangement was temporary and Mariya Didi, and Sri Lanka by Defence Secretary strengthening bilateral cooperation, maintaining infrastructure development would last until at least next summer. Major General (Retired) Kamal Gunaratne. relations. peace and security in the in Sri Lanka were among... (Reuters) Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 A2 MONDAY 30 NOVEMBER 2020 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Suspects to... Sirisena’s... Police have been instructed to two grams of drugs. Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. take action. Suspects caught with two They will not be granted bail, and ... Pushpakumara regarding the visit you state to the Police Unit that Sirisena Magistrate's Courts are vested grams of heroin in their the law will be enforced, the to Singapore. was in hospital from morning until night with powers to impose fines, grant possession are charged with drug Minister said. The Minister The Commission also observed that on 20 April 2019? bail, and rehabilitate suspects trafficking under Section 54 of further stated over 7,000 drug there were a number of discrepancies Witness: I don't remember exactly. I remanded for possessing less than the Poisons, Opium and offenders are behind bars. between Pushpakumara's statement to may have said so since he went to the the Police Unit of the Commission and hospital often during those days. the statements made by him while Chairman: Is it correct to say that testifying before the Commission. Sirisena arrived at the hotel at around When an Additional Solicitor General 9:00 a.m. from Mount Elizabeth (ASG) asked who accompanied Sirisena Hospital in Singapore, where he was Sumanthiran..