The UNF is to provide Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapakse, with an official residence.

He is likely to move into the house vacated by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Rohan de S. Daluwatte, at Stanmore Crescent off Bauddhaloka Mawatha.

There will of course be a house hunt when there is a new Chief of Defence Staff appointed.

Pleasure under a lawyer's porch
A leading lawyer and accomplished actor was in for a rude shock at the real life drama he witnessed one late night last week.

Awakened by screams, he opened his front door only to realise that the practitioners of the world's oldest profession were commissioning his porch.
The buxom madam, who arrived in her Hi-ace van, assembled her coterie in the vicinity. Callers reached her via a mobile phone.

Some members of her coterie had taken the "economy conscious" clients to the lawyer's porch, where the lights were being switched off after rising electricity rates sent shock waves to consumers. It was one place where there was no fee charged. The privacy came from the flowerpots around.

The furious man complained to a top cop. Men in uniform arrived at his house but asked the lawyer for advice on what to do. 'You all should know better," he retorted. The men withdrew.

What the lawyer saw and heard one night thereafter made him more furious. Hours past midnight, there was an argument between a woman of easy virtue and a client, who had evidently led her into the dark porch area. She was speaking her own language in Sinhala "How can I pay you money and also provide you a free service…."

Who was the client ? Well, your guess is as good as mine. "For him, it's a case of 'see dat' everyday," remarked a neighbour who knew what was going on. The latter of course had high walls around his house and locked his gate at night.

Defiant in retirement
Despite all the adverse publicity over the June 15 incident that was to drive him out of office, Air Force Commander Air Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody, was in a defiant mood this week.

A veteran with 30 years of service studded with many significant achievements, both for him and the nation in the 19 year long separatist war, he was insistent in going through with all procedural formalities before relinquishing office tomorrow. He took into account the number of days for the exercise when he put up papers for retirement. But, insiders say he said "no" to one thing. Late advice from some influential quarters to "stay back and fight" with assurances of "full support."

Air Marshal Weerakkody made farewell calls on major SLAF installations including those at China Bay, Palaly, Anuradhapura, Hingurakgoda, Ratmalana and Katunayake. He made the same speech in Sinhala at all places urging officers to look after their men.

Tomorrow, he will attend farewell parades at Army, Navy and Police Headquarters and later in the afternoon hand over duties to Air Vice Marshal Donald Perera. The handing over of his baton to AVM Perera, which symbolises the change in command, will take place after a guard of honour.

His final official task will be tomorrow night when he attends a guest night at the SLAF Base in Katunayake where officers in their mess kits and their wives will bid farewell. The event comes just four days short of the first anniversary of the Tiger guerrilla attack on this base and the adjoining international airport.

As for the accident that led to the death of a lorry assistant, the Attorney General's Department has asked the Police to record a statement from Mrs. Nilani Diyadawage, an SLAF Flight Lieutenant (until June 30), who was in the company of Air Marshal Weerakkody.

At least two policemen are to be charge sheeted by Police Headquarters. Two Air Force personnel are also expected to face disciplinary charges.

Meanwhile the Mirihana millionaire who spearheaded a campaign to buy silence, insiders say, has chosen to be away from public limelight after his involvement became known. He was conspicuous by his absence at City nightclubs and gymnasiums.

False alarm
The defence establishment was jolted last Thursday with the news that the Indian Navy had seized an arms ship belonging to the LTTE. It later turned out to be wrong.

It was a Lebanese ship with 16 crew on board. It is said to have been hijacked by Somali rebels forcing the crew to abandon the vessel.

The Indian Navy had later located the vessel drifting some 300 nautical miles west of Mangalore. Two AK 47 assault rifles and some small arms ammunition were found on board, according to reports reaching Colombo.

How to deal with the ltte
Even the most forthcoming among UNF politicos was reluctant to go public on the advice he received from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayaram Jayalalitha. It was over the ongoing peace talks and how to deal with the LTTE.

If the whole story is too volatile to be told, the first part related to an invitation to LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

It came during the politico's recent visit to Chennai on many matters relating to his responsibilities.

Little wonder she ordered the arrest on Thursday of her arch rival M.K. Vaiko, leader of the Marumalartchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam (MDMK), a constituent partner of the ruling coalition Government of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. He is being booked under a new anti terror law for voicing support for Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Police want longer custody
Senior Police officers want to ask for a change in the Criminal Procedure Code to detain suspects for 72 hours instead of the present 24 hours.
A resolution to this effect was adopted at the annual general meeting of the Senior Police Officers Mess Committee on Friday.

Another resolution was to appoint a committee of senior ranks to go into their grievances.

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