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Bond Scam: Court released Mahendran & others from Public Property charges

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Former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, and nine other people who were accused in the 1st Bond Scam case of 2015 were released from the charges filed under the Public Property Act, by the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar on Tuesday (11).

The court ruled that it cannot proceed with the charges filed under the Public Property Act by the Attorney General against the ten people accused of committing the Bond Scam of 2015.

The verdict was delivered by a 2/3 majority in the court.

The case was called up in the presence of Justices Chamath Morias, Damith Thotawatte, and Namal Balalle.

President’s Counsel Gamini Marapana had filed a preliminary objection with the court noting that charges cannot be charged against a company under the Public Property Act and noted that Perpetual Treasuries Limited which was also named as an accused is a company and not a person.

After the court accepted the objection, the defense counsel also argued that as a majority of the other accused at Directors of Perpetual Treasuries Limited, it applies to them as well, and therefore the charges under the Public Property Act filed against them cannot be taken forward.

Thereby, the Justice of the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar ordered for all other charges to be taken up for a trial, leaving the charges filed under the Public Property Act, on the 16th of December 2022.

The case was filed against the 10 accused under 23 counts for committing the Bond Scam on the 27th of February 2015, and causing a loss of Rs. 688 Million to the government.

The accused are:

Ex-CBSL Governor Lakshman Arjuna Mahendran

Ex-CBSL Deputy Governor P. Samarasiri

Perpetual Treasuries Limited

Arjun Joseph Aloysius

Kasun Palisena

Geoffrey Joseph Aloysius

Pushpa Chandra Gunawardena

C. Ranjan Hulugalle

Muthuraja Surendran

Ajahn Gardiye Punchihewa

(News1st)

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Navin to replace Tikiri as Governor!

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Former Minister Navin Dissanayake is tipped to be appointed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the new Governor of Sabaragamuwa Province, internal government sources said.

Mr. Dissanayake, who is the son of the late Minister Gamini Dissanayake, also served as the Plantation Industries Minister during the Yahapalana Government.

Tikiri Kobbekaduwa, who served as Sabaragamuwa Governor, has sent a letter to the President stating that he will resign from his post tomorrow (10).

Kobbekaduwa, who served as the Governor of the Central Province from 2005 to 2015, was appointed as the Governor of Sabaragamuwa by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

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Man arrested for cooking venison in Yala Bungalow!

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Three kilos of venison and wild boar meat have been seized while a group of visitors were preparing them at the Old Pier Bungalow (Yala Bungalow) reserved for VIPs in the Yala National Park.

This bungalow can only be reserved for the VIPs through the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation, and questions have been raised as to how this group has reserved the bungalow.

The bungalow had been given to this group of people who arrived from Beliatta for two days on June 06 and 07. They have brought one and a half kilos of venison and one and a half kilos of wild boar meat to the bungalow and instructed the watchman to cook the meat for them.

However, when the watchman objected, the visitors had said that they would complain to Wildlife and Forest Conservation Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi if he did not cook the meat.

The watchman has insisted that he would not cook venison.

Later on, the wildlife officials raided the bungalow when one visitor was preparing venison.

One man was arrested by the wildlife officials for possessing venison and he was fined Rs.60,000 after being produced in the Tissamaharama Magistrate’s Court.

The Yala Wildlife Officials are conducting investigations into the incident since the supply, possession and transportation of venison within National Parks is strictly prohibited.

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Consideration of Betting & Gaming Taxes Bill postponed

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The first meeting of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) for the fourth session of ninth Parliament was held recently (07) under the chairmanship of MP Dr. Harsha de Silva.

The Betting and Gaming Levy (Amendment) Bill was discussed at the meeting and the consideration of the bill was postponed for a week until a timeline for establishing a regulatory authority for casinos is worked out.

The chairman of the committee pointed out that the establishment of a regulatory authority regarding the casino business was previously discussed.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Finance has prepared a timeframe for this regulatory authority to get Cabinet approval by January 31, 2023.

However, since it has not been done, the committee mentioned that a new timeframe is needed and a period of one week will be given to prepare it for the Ministry of Finance.

Accordingly, it was decided to meet the COPF in a week to consider the Bill.

Also, the COPF approved the regulation under Appropriation Act No. 30 of 2021.

MPs Rauff Hakeem, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Duminda Dissanayake, Chandima Weerakkodi, Nimal Lanza, Sumith Udukumbura, Dr. Major Pradeep Undugoda, Kokila Gunawardena, Isuru Dodangoda, Sahan Pradeep Withana, Madhura Withanage and Prof. Ranjith Bandara participated in the meeting.

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