The liquor manufacturing license issued to W.M. Mendis & Co. Limited will be suspended from tomorrow (December 5) due to their failure to pay Rs. 5.7 billion in excise taxes and surcharges, the Excise department said.

Accordingly, as per the provisions Excise Ordinance Act, the Commissioner General of Excise has ordered to suspend the liquor manufacturing license issued to W.M. Mendis & Co. Limited effective from tomorrow.

The department further stated that measures have been taken to suspend the liquor manufacturing process from tomorrow (December 5) and to not renew the other licenses issued to the company from December 31 onwards if the company continues non-payment of tax arrears and surcharges. 

South Korea’s president yesterday shocked the country when, out of the blue, he declared martial law in the Asian democracy for the first time in nearly 50 years.

Yoon Suk Yeol’s drastic decision – announced in a late-night TV broadcast – mentioned “anti-state forces” and the threat from North Korea.

But it soon became clear that it not been spurred by external threats but by his own desperate political troubles.

Still, it prompted thousands of people to gather at parliament in protest, while opposition lawmakers rushed there to push through an emergency vote to remove the measure.

Lawmakers were also able to make their way around the barricades – even climbing fences to make it to the voting chamber.

Shortly after 01:00 on Wednesday, South Korea’s parliament, with 190 of its 300 members present, voted down the measure.

President Yoon’s declaration of martial law was ruled invalid.

Defeated, Yoon emeged a few hours later to accept the parliament’s vote and lift the martial law order.

Now, he faces the prospect of possible impeachment and even expulsion from his own party.

Source: BBC

Social activist Kelum Jayasumana who was arrested for sharing Mahaviru commemoration posts on social media has been granted bail.

He has been ordered to be released on bail after he was produced before Colombo Magistrate’s Court, Ada Derana reporter said.

During the trial, the officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) stated before the court that the suspect had downloaded and reposted a picture which was initially posted by a French woman on Facebook that contained the proscribed symbols of the LTTE organization.

Stating that this had disrupted public order and ethnic harmony, the officers also stated that no such event had been held in the North. Since the investigation has not been completed, the officers of the CID requested that the suspect be further remanded in custody.

Subsequently, Colombo Magistrate Thilina Gamage questioned the CID officers whether statements confirming that public order had been violated due to this act had been recorded and submitted to the court. In response, the officers of the CID stated that no such statements had been recorded and submitted to the court.

Questioning how the suspect could be further remanded without evidence confirming that a public disturbance had occurred, the Magistrate stated the suspects cannot be remanded further without proper evidence.

The Magistrate further elaborated that suspects could not be remanded based on what they had in mind without presenting evidence to the court, Ada Derana reporter said.

Accordingly, the Magistrate ordered the suspect to be released on two surety bails and ordered the case to be taken up again on April 03, 2025.

(adaderana.lk)

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