Liquor bottles with fake stickers have been found in more than 100 bars across the country and these stickers have been distributed from a house at 52/15, Dolorosa Road, South Pallansena, Kochchikade in Gampaha, SJB MP Buddhika Pathirana said in Parliament yesterday (23).
“We need to find out who owns this house. An excise officer named Sumith, who went to investigate a similar incident in Pasikudah, was instructed to turn back following a telephone call. Who made the call? It was Additional Excise Commissioner General (Revenue) Kapila Kumarasinghe. In 2004, another officer called Alphonso Russell Lambert was accused in a bribery case along with Kapila Kumarasinghe. This person still works as an Excise Officer. His home address is the one I mentioned earlier,” the MP said.
The MP said that these fake stickers have been found from Jaffna, Nuwara Eliya, Galle, Ratnapura and other districts.
Addressing the State Finance Minister, MP Pathirana said that he is a renowned economist. “I urge the State Minister not to be a victim of these past crimes. I would also like to know whether the Finance State Minister would conduct an investigation in this regard,” he said.
Monara TV, launched with much fanfare just a year ago under the Swarnavahini media network, has reportedly shut down operations.
Employees have been informed that the closure is temporary, citing the need to resolve certain administrative issues.
The channel, led by Buddhika Wickramadhara, was ceremonially launched on June 25, 2024, with a grand event at Waters Edge.
Producers who supplied teledramas to Monara TV say they are owed nearly Rs.200 million in unpaid dues.
Meanwhile, it is reported that the parent Swarnavahini TV channel is also reportedly grappling with a serious financial crisis, paying teledrama producers only after 60 episodes are broadcast.
Producers claim they are compelled to wait about 03 months to recover an investment of around Rs.15 million per teledrama. Even then, payments are made in small portions, covering just 05 episodes at a time.
Producers who supplied teledramas before the appointment of Mr. Susara Dinal as CEO say it is even harder to claim their outstanding payments, as they have been asked to recover the dues from former CEO – Udara Wijesinghe.
The Swarnavahini Media Network is owned by Subaskaran Allirajah – Chairman of Lyca Group, which also owns Lycamobile, a global telecommunications company.
A young woman was found in the Dewipahala-Dodam Ella area in Kuruwita, after being brutally attacked and her gold necklace stolen
According to the police, the victim was found collapsed on the roadside with severe neck injuries caused by a sharp weapon. She was rushed to the Ratnapura Hospital but succumbed to her injuries shortly after admission.
The victim has been identified as a 26-year-old.
Arrests are yet to be made and an investigation is underway.
