Former President Maithripala Sirisena has appeared before the Criminal Investigations Department today (May 03) to record another statement regarding the Easter Sunday terror attacks.

The CID had previously obtained a five-hour-long statement from the former President on March 25 over a statement he had made a few days earlier.

Police had used water cannons in order to disperse the protesting medical students near the Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo earlier today (May 03).

The protest march was organised by the Medical Faculty Students’ Action Committee against the establishment of private medical colleges in the country and the decision to establish a Faculty of Medicine at the National School of Business Management (NSBM).

Forty four Sri Lankans who were in different prisons across the United Arab Emirates have been pardoned by a Royal order. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates has formally conveyed to the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi that these Sri Lankan prisoners received pardon by the Royal order on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, April 2024.

These forty four Sri Lankans who have received the Royal pardon will be repatriated to Sri Lanka by the Government of the United Arab Emirates in due course. The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi will collaboratively coordinate with the United Arab Emirates Government authorities and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka to ensure their safe repatriation.

Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi Udaya Indrarathne wishes to extend his deep appreciation to the Government of the United Arab Emirates, and its Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior for making arrangements to pardon these Sri Lankans. The Embassy of Sri Lanka appreciates the empathy and generosity shown by the leadership of the UAE in this regard.

(MFASL)