The Department of Prisons has issued a statement defending the release of W. M. Athula Tilakaratne, a former finance company manager convicted of misappropriating Rs. 4 million, clarifying that it was part of a general presidential pardon granted on Vesak Poya Day.

Prisons Media Spokesman and Commissioner Gamini B. Dissanayake stated that Tilakaratne was among a group of inmates released under the annual Vesak pardon, which is granted to prisoners who meet certain conditions. He noted that the individual was not specifically singled out for release, but was eligible under the general criteria due to his sentence and the remission of the fine imposed by court.

According to the statement, Tilakaratne had been convicted under Section 386 of the Penal Code and sentenced to a suspended prison term with a fine of Rs. 20 lakhs as compensation. The High Court had also ruled that failure to pay the fine would result in six months of rigorous imprisonment. His release was granted as the fine was waived under the Vesak pardon provisions.

The Department emphasized that Tilakaratne was released in accordance with existing procedures and that the pardon was not targeted or exceptional.

Yesterday, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Ajith P. Perera raised questions in Parliament regarding the pardon, highlighting that the release occurred just weeks after Tilakaratne’s conviction. He called on the government to explain the process and transparency behind granting such pardons, especially as the individual is reportedly facing other cases as well.

The government did not respond to the MP’s query during the session. 

(newswire.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by newswire.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

The Joint Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine (JCPSM) has decided to end the strike at 8.00 am today (June 07).

Secretary Chanaka Dharmawickrama stated that the decision was made after 04 of the 05 affiliated unions agreed to call off the strike, considering the inconvenience caused to patients.

However, medical laboratory professionals will continue their strike action.

He added that if their demands are not met, the temporarily suspended strike could be resumed in the future.

All 14 Dedicated Economic Centers (DECs) in Sri Lanka at the present will be brought under a new state company and operating under the proper administration, Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe has said.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday (June 06), he has said, “Currently, there are a lot of problems and shortcomings in this entire process. Farmers do not get the right price for their products and also it takes a long time to transport their product’s to the DECs causing huge losses in harvest”.
“We will bring all these economic centers under a proper management board. This will solve all the problems that have arisen so far. The prices of vegetables and fruits in Dambulla will be displayed on digital boards in all other economic centers. Currently, Dambulla and Thambuttegama are opened in the morning, which is inconvenient for farmers. It takes about two days for vegetables coming to Dambulla to reach Colombo. Therefore, the opening times of the DECs will be changed and transport facilities will also be increased to prevent damage to the products during transportation.

Although Rs.1,400 million of state funds have been invested on these 14 DECs, the government has not received a single cent from them, he adds.

(Excerpts – dailynews)