The day before Easter attacks CID Officer had FRIDAY 18 september 2020 6-minute talk with LATEST EDITION Harin’s father VOL: 09/234 PRICE : Rs 30.00 BY BUDDHIKA SAMARAWEERA AND W.K. In Sports PRASAD MANJU President discusses A six-minute-long telephone conversation had development taken place between an officer attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and of country’s sports Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) National List MP President Gotabaya Rajapaksa met Harin Fernando's father, Nihal Fernando on 20 Minister of Sports and Youth affairs April 2019, the day before Easter Sunday attacks Namal Rajapaksa, former Sri Lanka last year,... skipper Kumar Sangakkara and others for a discussion on Wednesday (16), regarding the country’s sports. Story Continued on PAGE 2 A16 Notice Issued on MT Diamond’s Skipper Charges include failure to adopt safety measures SL to Withdraw BY HANSI NANAYAKKARA He further said, following an Colombo Additional order obtained from the Court Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage at the previous hearing, yesterday (17), issued notice statements had been recorded from UNHRC on the Captain of the ‘MT New from four persons, including Diamond’ oil tanker to appear the Captain of the ship and BY THAMEENAH RAZEEK before him on 28 September. observed that more He issued the notice on the statements had to be recorded While concurring with the position that Sri Lanka should Captain of the distressed oil from a few more crew pull out from the United Nations Human Rights Council tanker, following a request members. (UNHRC), Cabinet Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella made to Court by Deputy The prosecution told the said, Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena Solicitor General Dileepa Additional Magistrate that informing the UNHRC of the withdrawal from the Peiris, who sought to name from the statement recorded co-sponsorship of Resolution 30/1 was the initial the Captain as a suspect in from the Captain, he had step in the process. the case and order him to stated that he had entered the Rambukwella was responding to a journalist, who appear in Court, following the naval industry 36 years ago queried, at the weekly Cabinet Media briefing case being taken up through a and that he had possessed yesterday (17), why the Government doesn’t motion. 10-years work experience as a consider pulling out of the UNHRC, as they only get Peiris told Liyanage that Captain. criticised by them. In response, Rambukwella said from the probe conducted into Peiris said, the Captain had they have already started the procedure of pulling the ship’s blaze, it had been also mentioned that the blaze out of the UNHRC, by withdrawing from the indicated that a distance of had occurred while the ship co-sponsorship of Resolution 30/1. 6.5 kilometres of the ocean, had been transporting oil from Rambukwella also said, the Government from where the oil tanker had Kuwait to India and that it had does not agree with each and every been ablaze, had been also been his maiden voyage allegation and criticism posed by the polluted. since joining the firm in... UNHRC and also that they are not ready... Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 Cyber ragging at Jaffna Uni Orange Lotus Blooms for Patients' Safety State audit officers lament UGC Chairman 20A will curtail Audit Dept powers orders prompt probe BY SHIRAN RANASINGHA BY RUWANthA NIthULGASPITIYA State audit officers said legal powers Chairman of the University Grants Commission vested with the Audit Department to (UGC), Professor Sampath Amaratunga, said a carry out inquiries pertaining to some prompt probe will be conducted into the recent 168 Government institutions will be exposé by Ceylon Today, into alleged acts of curtailed, if the 20th Amendment is cyber ragging by a group of senior passed. undergraduates of the Jaffna University. He said, those found guilty will be dealt with Story Continued on according to provisions in the Ragging Act. PAGE 2 Prof. Amaratunga also commended Ceylon Today for the revelation of the sordid act by a Final decision on group of... 20A at next Party Story Continued on PAGE 2 Leaders’ meet SLMC Assistant BY THAMEENAH RAZEEK In celebration of World Patients’ Safety Day 2020 (17 September), the Lotus Tower was illuminated in Orange as a visible public recognition of health workers’ efforts to provide safe healthcare every single Registrar’s functions day for patients (Pic by Kelum Chamara) Even though the 20th Amendment to the Constitution is supposed to be suspended tabled in Parliament at the next sitting, Cabinet Spokesman Keheliya BY DILANTHI JAYAMANNE Rambukwella said, the final decision as GA, Police covertly to whether they are going to table it at Minimum age the next sitting will be taken at the Party Health Minister Pavithra promote drug menace Leaders’ meeting. Wanniarachchi has taken measures to withdraw all of employment – J.J. Ratnasiri functions of the Acting Story Continued on PAGE 2 Assistant Registrar (AAR) of the BY J.T. DE SILVA Sri Lanka Medical Council increased to Four errant (SLMC) till investigations into Secretary to the Ministry of Public complaints made against him 16 years Services, Provincial Councils and Local employees suspended by the Government Medical Government, J.J. Ratnasiri alleged that in July – SriLankan Officers’ Association (GMOA) were complete. BY THAMEENAH RAZEEK officers attached to the Police Department Wanniarachchi, in a letter to the SLMC Chairman and the Government Analyst’s (GA) SriLankan Airlines states that the on 16 September, instructed to remove the AAR of Department had covertly helped promote Airline had suspended the services of the SLMC from functioning within the SLMC until... The Cabinet approved to amend the the illegal drug menace instead of trying to the four employees who had been labour laws to increase the minimum age root it out. arrested on alleged visa fraud, in July Story Continued on PAGE 2 for labour services to 16 years. As a result, some officers from the two this year and that the employees are not This was done to ensure that labour Departments are now behind bars, he said engaged in any operation of the Airline laws correspond with the legal provisions and noted that it was a regrettable situation. at present. describing the compulsory schooling age Angoda Lokka died as 16 years. Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 of heart attack Story Continued on PAGE 2 Aluvihare’s recount petition No foul play involved – Indian CB-CID Granting 65,000 acres to The person alleged to be the fugitive gangster multinational firm Court notices respondents Maddumage Lasantha Chandana Perera alias ‘Angoda Lokka’ died of a heart attack in Coimbatore Vidyaratna demands and no foul play was involved in his death, a senior BY KAMAL WEERARATNA Aluvihare has petitioned the Court officer of India’s CB-CID said on 16 September based to know Govt decision praying for an order to... the Matale on the findings of the post-mortem, chemical The Court of Appeal yesterday (17), District Returning Officer of the Election examination and histopathology reports. BY ANURADHA HERATH noticed the respondents named in the writ Commission (EC) to conduct a recount of IGP of the CB-CID, K. Shankar told The Hindu that petition, filed by Samagi Jana Balawegaya the preferential votes cast for the SJB the three reports did not have any findings related to JVP Member Samantha Vidyaratna, (SJB) candidate Ranjith Aluvihare, to candidates at the 5 August General an unnatural death. “ yesterday (17), called on the Chief... appear in Court on 5 December. Election. Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 A2 FRIDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2020 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Notice Issued... CID officer had... ... charge of the ship. He pointed out that from No. 35 of 2008. This was after the AG had ... through which Nihal discovered in the claim that the Catholic the probe conducted into the incident thus far, it reviewed the documents and reports related to Fernando is believed to have Wanathawilluwa area in Church had known about had come to light that the Captain of the ship the case pertaining to the blaze onboard the been informed of the January 2019, and the prior warnings of the Easter had failed to adopt any safety measures at the ‘MT New Diamond’. possibility of a terror attack. questioning of Army Sunday carnage, had not only time of the blaze, while he had also failed to AG’s Coordinating Officer, State Counsel The said officer was engaged Mohideen, a hardcore follower besmirched the image of notify the relevant institutions regarding the Nishara Jayaratne said that the AG is of the in several investigations of National Thowheed Archbishop of Colombo, incident as well and that from the looks of it, his opinion that adequate evidence is available that carried out by the CID into Jama’ath Leader Zahran Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith but actions could be tantamount to an act of crime. the Captain of the oil tanker has committed certain incidents related to Hashim. those of the Catholics as well. Hence, Peiris told Court that as the ship offences punishable under Sections 25, 26, 38, Islamist extremism and this When an Additional He further charged that Captain’s self quarantine period is due to expire and 53 of the Prevention of Marine Pollution came into light when MP Solicitor General (ASG) Harin Fernando, who is on 24 September in Galle, he should therefore Act, No. 35 of 2008. Thereby, the AG had Fernando testified before the questioned Harin Fernando as blaming the Catholic be noticed to appear in Court at a later date.