Two former Presidents, former Deputy Minister – Salinda Dissanayake and former MP Manjula Dissanayake have been involved in the misuse of a land in Kurunegala, Deputy Minister Sunil Ranasinghe told Parliament today (June 19).

Salinda is the husband of Manjula Dissanayake.

The ex-Deputy Minister had obtained the land on lease and obtained a loan from the Lankaputhra Bank using it as a collateral. However the loan has been defaulted.

The Presidents in 2000 and 2007 were involved in reducing the monthly lease and later scrapping it, Ranasinghe added.

(Video : Voice Tube)

Former Minister Duminda Dissanayake has been further remanded until June 26 after being produced before the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court today (June 19).

He was arrested over the discovery of a gold-plated firearm at the Havelock City housing complex and the court ordered hold him further custody as investigations continue.

Senior Additional Solicitor General and President’s Counsel, Mr Nalin Rohantha Abeysooriya, was sworn in this morning (June 19) as the new President of the Court of Appeal before President Anura Kumara Disanayake at the Presidential Secretariat.

In addition, High Court Judges Mr Don Francis Hathurusinghe Gunawardena and Mr Adithya Kantha Madduma Patabendige were also sworn in today (19) as Judges of the Court of Appeal, in the presence of the President at the Presidential Secretariat.

The President’s Secretary, Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, was also in attendance at the ceremony.

(President’s Media Division)