News

Cey-Nor chairman resigns citing threats from State minister

Published

1 year ago

March 22, 2024

nipuni

Chairman of the Cey-Nor Foundation Limited – Dr. Dulan Hettiarachchi has tendered his resignation to the President, citing that he is unable to function in his role due to death threats from State Minister of Fisheries – Piyal Nishantha.

Noting that the state minister had sought bribes, Dr. Hettiarachchi has said that he has been threatened when they were not granted.

The letter adds that he took over the chairman post of Cey-Nor Foundation Limited when the institution was in a state of continuous losses. Regardless, the state minister had appointed 20 new employees to the institution and pressured him to pay their salaries from the ministry coffers, he has added.

Dr. Hettiarachchi has further mentioned that the State Minister has been asking food parcels worth Rs. 10,000 to distribute among voters of his constituency and in some instances has threatened him to provide money to purchase these parcels.

Despite the financial situation of the Cey-Nor Foundation at the beginning of his tenure, Dr. Hettiarachchi says that he had worked to pay off the institution’s bank overdraft of over Rs. 50 million and make the institution a profitable one. He also adds that the company obtained Rs. 08 million after wrapping up a legal case concerning the Cey-Nor restaurant.

He also says that the institution, which initially only focused on fiberglass vessel manufacturing, has diversified since, and had also managed to obtain Indian funding to further broaden operations.

However, State Minister Piyal Nishantha has refuted all claims made by Dr. Hettiarachchi and said that had no issues with the latter.

(Source : Lankadeepa)

News

COVID subvariants spreading in Asia detected in Sri Lanka

Published

8 hours ago

May 31, 2025

editor

The Medical Research Institute of Sri Lanka has confirmed that the COVID-19 variant currently spreading in the Asian region has also been identified in the country.

Dr. Jude Jayamaha, a specialist in viral diseases at the Medical Research Institute, stated that patients infected with the Omicron subvariants LF.7 and XFG are being reported locally.

Dr. Jayamaha explained that this finding was confirmed through research conducted on biological samples collected from several hospitals across the island.

However, he emphasized that there is no need for undue fear regarding these COVID-19 variants.

Health authorities have also stressed the importance of vulnerable groups—such as pregnant mothers, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses—following health guidelines, including wearing face masks and avoiding crowded places.

Dr. Jayamaha reiterated that new COVID-19 variants emerge periodically, and health authorities are continuously monitoring the situation, so the public should remain calm.

(newswire.lk)

(This story, originally published by newswire.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

News

Anudi misses out from Miss World Quarter-Finals

Published

8 hours ago

May 31, 2025

editor

The Miss World organization has announced its quarter-finalists, selecting 40 contestants from across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

Sri Lanka’s Anudi Gunasekara, was not selected in the top 40, despite being recognized for her impressive performances in the Multimedia and Head-to-Head challenges.

The top 40 consisted of 10 contestants each from Asia & Oceania, Europe, Africa and the Americas.