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Allegations against Danushka Gunathilaka revealed!

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Police allegations against cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka, who is accused of choking and sexually assaulting a woman he met on Tinder, can be revealed after the media won a fight in court as police attempted to suppress details of the case, News.Com.Australia reported.

On Wednesday Dauid Sibtain SC represented News Corp, ABC, the Sydney Morning Herald and Channel 9 in a successful bid to challenge the suppression orders.

Police earlier argued that details of the case should be suppressed to protect the safety of the complainant, and prevent her undue distress and embarrassment.

Magistrate Robert Williams permitted access to the police fact sheet, which prosecutors relied upon in successfully opposing Mr Gunathilaka’s bail on Monday.

According to the fact sheet, Mr Gunathilaka matched with the Rose Bay woman on Tinder on October 29 before moving the conversation to Instagram and then WhatsApp.

Police say Mr Gunathilaka attempted to encourage the woman to travel to Brisbane to see him but she declined and the pair began to have video calls, where they arranged to meet in person in Sydney.

The pair met at Opera Bar in Sydney’s Circular Quay about 8.20pm on Wednesday November 2, as the woman was already there for another function with people she knew, the facts allege.

According to court documents, they stayed at the bar for half an hour where Mr Gunathilaka had two drinks while the woman drank “about five standard alcoholic beverages”.

The pair ate dinner at Frankie’s Pizza before walking to Circular Quay Wharf 4 to catch a ferry to the women’s house.

“While waiting for the ferry Mr Gunathilaka stood in front of the complainant and pressed his body against her. The accused kissed the victim on the lips forcefully,” court documents state.

While on the ferry, the cricket player allegedly kissed the woman again forcefully and “slapped her buttocks”, to which she replied: “Oi”.

When they arrived at the woman’s home, according to court documents, Mr Gunathilaka pushed the woman back onto the couch and “forced himself” on top of her.

He allegedly forcefully kissed the woman and put his hand down her neckline, into her bra and “groped her breast”.

The facts state the woman asked the international cricket star to take it slow, before he began taking her clothes off causing her to freeze.

The pair moved to a bedroom where the woman began to feel uncomfortable but agreed to continue with sexual activity only if Mr Gunathilaka wore a condom.

“He protested but eventually agreed,” the documents state.

Much of the detail is too graphic to report.

During the several hours he remained at the woman’s home, Mr Gunithilaka is accused of choking the woman multiple times and allegedly slapping her on the buttocks.

At one point the woman looked down to the floor and noticed the condom was next to the bed, realising she had been “stealthed”.

According to court documents the woman was “in shock” and did not consent to sexual activity with no condom, or choking.

The woman again asked Mr Gunathilaka to use a condom, but he allegedly refused and forcefully engaged in sexual activity.

The woman was allegedly “frozen and in shock” before the 31-year-old asked the woman to order him an Uber. He got dressed and left the woman’s house just before 1am.

The following morning the woman woke up with sore and swollen lips and called two friends. She also contacted a counselling service and saw her doctor, and was unable to work as she “couldn’t stop crying”.

The woman attended Bondi Police Station where she provided a statement and issued photos showing the messages and calls she had shared with Mr Gunathilaka.

She went to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital where she underwent a Sexual Assault Investigation Kit and brain scan to check for injury from the alleged choking.

Police immediately began investigating and seized the used condom, tissues, bed linen and clothing.

Mr Gunathilaka was arrested in the early hours of Sunday Morning at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and taken to Surry Hills Police Station where he was charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent.

Officers found the 31-year-old in the lift of the hotel as he had just returned on the team bus from the Moore Park precinct.

According to court documents, Mr Gunathilaka participated in an electronic interview where he “corroborated some parts of the woman’s version” but denied any violence or lack of consent.

“Investigators … do not find it reasonable that the accused believed he had the free, voluntary and consistent consent of the complainant to the particular sexual activity that took place,” court documents state.

Mr Gunathilaka applied for bail on Monday which was denied by Magistrate Robert Williams, meaning he will spend the next two months behind bars on remand until the matter is next before the court in January.

Accordingly, Australian media reported that he will have to remain in custody for the next two months.

However, his lawyers are mulling to submit another application seeking bail.

Gunathilaka’s camp has decided to remove lawyer Ananda Amaranath, who has been representing Gunathilaka up to now, and get the services of Sam Pararajasingham, who has experience in criminal cases in Sydney.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan cricket captain Dasun Shanaka, head coach Chris Silverwood and team manager Mahinda Halangoda were summoned to the Sports Ministry yesterday (08) to inquire about the incident of Dhanushka Gunathilaka.

They have given statements separately before the Sports Minister and the officials of the National Sports Council.

Meanwhile, former head of the legal department at SLC Chanaka Senaratne said that considering the inconsistencies in the plaintiff’s documents and several other factors, he is confident that Gunathilaka will win the case.

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Won’t allow country to collapse: President 

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Delivering a special statement in Parliament a short while ago on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Fund Facility (EFF), President Ranil Wickremesinghe said he would not allow the country to collapse even if he has to face difficulties. 

He said that at a time when the country was in chaos in July last year, no one was willing to accept responsibility and he was requested to take over. “I had no power in Parliament, no Members of Parliament from my Party to call my own. However, my strength was my conviction that I was capable of rebuilding the country,” he said. 

The receipt of the IMF Facility is a step towards building a better future for the youth and uplifting the country. The credit facility amounts to approximately USD 3 billion over 4 years, with the first tranche of USD 333 million will be received. 

Additionally, the country is expecting about USD 7 billion dollars more in rapid credit support from other parties, President Wickremesinghe said. 

He said that some people consider the IMF EFF as just another loan, while others claim that the total debt of the country cannot be paid off with the amount received. He noted that these statements show either ignorance or a willingness to betray the country for political gain 

President Wickremesinghe told Parliament that the IMF EFF will restore Sri Lanka’s international recognition, ensure the country is not bankrupt and help banks regain international recognition. This will create opportunities for low-interest credit, restore foreign investors’ confidence and lay the foundation for a strong new economy.

The President said that amidst numerous hardships, bearing all kinds of pressure, and undergoing suffering with equanimity, the people of this country remained calm and patient. Their commitment was a great strength in achieving the IMF Facility. Therefore, he extended his gratitude to the people of the country

“We are now starting a new journey. We have to introduce many economic reforms throughout the process. The foundation for our success will be through this path. Some of these reforms have already been proposed and implemented through the interim budget of 2022 and the budget for 2023. We will introduce numerous other reforms,” he said in his special statement.

He also said the government aims to reduce the primary deficit to 2.3% of GDP by 2025 and increase revenue to 14% of GDP by 2026. “The standard corporate income tax rate has been raised to 30%, and sectoral tax holidays have been eliminated. The PAYE tax rate has been raised from 12% to 15%, and the tax exemption limit has been reduced from Rs. 300 million to Rs. 80 million,” he said.

The President also stated that he had previously requested the support of the opposition in rebuilding the economy, but did not receive it. He had made similar requests during the opening of Parliament and Budget debates, but to no avail. Despite his efforts, the opposition refused to extend their support citing various reasons, the President’s Media Division said.

The President acknowledged that the current situation is difficult, but assured that the sacrifices made now will lead to benefits in the near future. He emphasizes the importance of working together towards the goal of building a better future for the younger generation by setting aside past criticisms.

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260 go AWOL from police service

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Police Headquarters sources said that 260 people have left the police service this year without officially informing the Police Department.

Sources said that most of them are police constables and sergeants and that many of them have left due to stress, economic hardships, excessive work, undue influence and restlessness.

Orders have been issued to all these people over leaving the police service.

In 2022, 900 police personnel had left the police service.

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Do not treat prisoners like cattle: Magistrate 

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Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis yesterday (21) criticized the practice of bringing a large number of suspects in chains to the court like a herd of cattle.

“No point in having the slogan ‘Prisoners are Human Beings’ if you don’t respect it. From now on, do not bring suspects to court like animals. They should be brought in separately,” the Chief Magistrate said, expressing strong displeasure at the actions of the prison officials.

A large number of suspects, including foreign nationals arrested on suspicion of drug offences, were handcuffed and chained together in a line and produced in the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court for proceedings yesterday.

Source – Aruna

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