News

MPs vocal during PM’s meeting to go against Keheliya?

Published

2 years ago

August 29, 2023

editor

There is suspicion within the government whether the MPs who vowed to defeat the expenditure heads of three ministries in the upcoming Budget, will support the vote of no confidence against Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.

Several MPs were being vocal during the ruling party parliamentary group meeting held last week. It was chaired by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena as the President was in Singapore.

At the meeting, a number of backbench MPs and state ministers had accused the ministers in charge of five key ministries.

They have levelled allegations against 12 ministers including five senior ministers.

MPs Madhura Withanage, Janaka Tissakuttiarachchi, Jayantha Katagoda, Upul Mahendra Rajapaksha, Samanpriya Herath, Sumith Udukumbura, Kumarasiri Ratnayake, Jagath Samarawickrama, Piyal Nishantha, Milan Jayathilaka and Geetha Kumarasinghe were among those who made accusations.

Accusing five ministries, they have vowed to defeat the head of expenditure of three ministries in the upcoming budget.

It is said that the backbench MPs have strongly accused a number of ministers of not giving jobs to even one person recommended by the MPs as requested, distributing land unfairly, giving priority to Opposition MPs over the ruling party MPs in admitting children to schools and not taking into account the proposals of the ruling party members when allocating funds for regional development projects.

Meanwhile, SLFP MP Dayasiri Jayasekara and another Opposition politician were accused of admitting children to schools with the blessing of the Ministry of Education.

Next no confidence motion against Nalin?

The MPs have also expressed displeasure over the behavior of Trade Minister Nalin Fernando.

They have alleged that Minister Fernando is enabling irregularities by following the instructions of his predecessors Nimal Lanza and Johnston Fernando.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is planning to bring the next no confidence motion against Minister Nalin Fernando, who aggravated the issue of poultry products without lowering the tax on maize.

The frustrated MPs have suggested to the Prime Minister that all these issues should be discussed in a special meeting with the President.

Due to this situation, the President has prohibited the MPs from travelling overseas next week as the no-confidence motion against Minister Rambukwella is to be taken up in Parliament.

News

Assets of 02 police officers to be probed

Published

3 hours ago

June 22, 2025

editor

Assets of two prominent police officers are to be probed after authorities received a number of complaints, highly placed sources in the government say.

One officer in question is a DIG while the other is a SSP, reports add.

The Police Illegal Assets And Property Investigation Division are conducting further investigations.

News

AG seeks CID probe into social media smear campaign against his staff

Published

4 hours ago

June 22, 2025

editor

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has opened a probe following a complaint by Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe that his staff have been unduly targeted by false allegations on social media.

The AG’s instruction to the CID came after several of his staff complained to him over the allegation on social media.

Particularly targeted are senior AG’s Department officials awaiting promotions, sources said.

In one of the posts, a senior officer was accused of being supportive of granting bail to Thamil Makkal Viduthal Puligal (TMVP) leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pillaiyan, when his fundamental rights application over his arrest was taken up. During the hearing of the FR case, the matter of bail was not even considered, the sources said.

Another allegation was that in a case related to the suspended Police Chief Deshabandu Tennakoon, the AG prevented a senior officer from representing the department and instead sent a junior officer. However, on the particular day, the senior officer was indisposed, the sources said.

These allegations surface as the AG’s Department has filed more than 600 new indictments in High Courts so far this year, while the Bribery Commission has also referred several bribery and corruption cases to the AG for prosecution.

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

News

19-yr. old dies after falling from elevator

Published

4 hours ago

June 22, 2025

editor

A 19-year-old youth has died after falling from a service elevator at a hotel in the Pannai area, in the Jaffna Police Division.

According to the police, the incident had occurred last night (June 21) and the deceased has been identified as a resident of Nirveli, Jaffna.

According to investigations, the youth was employed at the hotel and had been using the service elevator -intended for transporting goods.

Further investigations are underway.

This incident follows a similar case recently reported from a hotel in Moratuwa last week.