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Drop
lawyer's case, politico tells police When a police
constable visited the lawyer's house to record a statement after
the victim lodged the complaint, he had telephoned a powerful politician
and given the phone to the constable. The politician
is said to have told the constable not to proceed with the investigations
as he had already advised the Borella Police OIC not to record any
statement from the lawyer. The lawyer
is alleged to have demanded an additional Rs. 675,000 from the woman
to obtain bail for her husband, saying that part of the money had
to be paid to the judge and officers at the Attorney-General's Department. But the woman
in her complaint said she later came to know that the magistrate
court had no jurisdiction to allow bail for a person facing charges
under the Emigration and Immigration Act. When the woman demanded
her money back, the lawyer started to evade her. When the woman
persisted, the lawyer returned only Rs. 300,000 and reportedly began
to evade her ever since, according to the complaint. When The Sunday Times contacted the Borella police, officers there declined to comment. Vesak
to promote Dhamma, tourism Vesak this year is being planned both with a local theme -'He who lives by the Dhamma is protected by the Dhamma' - and an international theme 'Vesak in Sri Lanka: A unique experience', the organizers told a recent news conference. Among the foreign
dignitaries expected to participate at national Vesak celebrations
this year are Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Karnataka
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. About 30 Thai Buddhist priests
are also expected to attend the national Vesak festival. Five sub-committees
have been set up to look into the various aspects of the national
Vesak festival with the Prime Minister himself appointing the heads
of these committees. Buddhasasana Minister W.J.M. Lokubandara heads a sub-committee that will focus on the spiritual, ethical and administrative issues, while Cultural Affairs Minister Karunasena Kodituwakku will preside over a sub-committee to promote the cultural and aesthetic aspects of festival. Tourism Minister Gamini Lokuge will preside over the sub-committee tasked with promoting tourism through Vesak. Colombo Mayor Prasanna Gunawardena heads the sub-committee on basic facilities awhile Sri Lanka Telecom Chairman Thilanga Sumathipala heads the media sub-committee. Among the highlights of the national Vesak festival will be a Bhakthi Gee recital at the Independence Square. No
payment for missing rice K.H.J Wijayadasa,
Chairman of the Inter Ministerial Committee on Food Security, said
it was believed that the shipping agent in India had failed to check
the consignment and an investigation into the shortfall of rice
was in progress. "We will
not pay any additional money and will pay only for the quantity
supplied to us," he said. The order for
the rice was placed by the Ministry of Rehabilitation. Jaffna's Government
Agent S.Pathmanathan, to whom the supplies were sent, had accepted
the bags of rice only after making an official complaint that each
bag was 12-kilos less. The Sunday Times learns Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered an investigation into the case. Opposition
scoffs at SB's petition Describing the
move as a mockery of parliamentary system, opposition members asked
how a person who was being investigated by the Bribery Commission
could campaign for the removal of a BriberyCommissioner. PA media spokesman
Sarath Amunugama said the move was unprecedented and charged that
the minister was misusing his parliamentary privilege. "It's
not only a mockery of Parliament. It's like a prisoner who is sentenced
to death calling for the removal of the judges. We are against this
move and we will ensure that it will not be passed. Once it is in
the order paper we will lodge our protest," Dr. Amunugama said. The resolution
which is to be presented to the Speaker has been signed by most
of the UNP MPs. Ministers Milinda Moragoda and Imthiaz Bakeer Markar
along with members of the TULF, the TELO, the CWC, the ACTC, the
DPLF and the SLMC have abstained from signing the resolution. The resolution calls for the setting up of a parliamentary select committee to probe allegations that one of the members of the Commission has violated secrecy laws. It asks for the removal of the commissioner if the allegations are proved.
High Commissioner
Faisz Musthapha met Dr Kim Howell, the British minister in charge
of culture and film, and conveyed to him the feelings of the Sri
Lanka government about the film that is widely seen as offensive
to Buddhists and Buddhism and falsely depicts Buddhism as generating
the violence that had engulfed the country for 20 years until the
ceasefire last year. Diplomatic
sources said Dr Howell noted the concerns of Sri Lanka coming at
a time when peace talks are taking place, a process that the British
government supports. High Commissioner Musthapha also met his counterpart
from Thailand, Wikom Koomperochana, the newly appointed ambassador,
and brought to his notice the contents of the film which purports
to be an honest portrayal of the Sri Lankan conflict but is an insult
to Buddhists the world over. Diplomatic
sources said the Thai ambassador shared Sri Lanka's concern in this
matter. High Commissioner
Musthapha is also due to meet ambassadors from other predominantly
Buddhist countries such as Japan, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia to
apprise them also of the film that has attracted widespread criticism
for its false message. |
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