Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament – Bimal Rathnayake states that investigations have confirmed there was no fault in the Chinese K-8 training jet that recently crashed in Wariyapola.
According to the Minister, this conclusion was revealed in the report submitted by a committee appointed to investigate the crash.
The aircraft, used for pilot training by the Sri Lanka Air Force, crashed last Friday (March 21) into a coconut plantation in the Welagedara area of Ihala Minuwangate, Wariyapola.
Two Air Force personnel sustained injuries in the incident and a seven-member committee was appointed to conduct a thorough investigation into the crash.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense has announced that all K-8 aircrafts in the Sri Lanka Air Force fleet will undergo standard inspections.
Deputy Minister of Defense Aruna Jayasekera stated that these inspections will be carried out based on the recommendations of the expert committee appointed to review the K-8 aircraft.
He further noted that, if necessary, foreign inspection teams will also be brought in for further assessments.
An Inland Revenue Department (IRD) Deputy Commissioner has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) for allegedly soliciting a bribe of Rs. 50,000 from a businessman.
According to investigations, the IRD officer had demanded a bribe from a businessman in Piliyandala in order to issue a tax clearance report for his business located in Dematagoda.
It is reported that the officer had initially demanded Rs. 100,000, but the amount was later reduced to Rs. 50,000 after negotiations. The businessman had already paid an advance of Rs. 42,000 on July 03, reports add.
CIABOC officials had nabbed him while accepting the balance Rs. 8,000 in cash, at the IRD office on Jawatte Road in Colombo.
The suspect is to be produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court.
The Colombo High Court Special Trial-at-Bar has issued summons on former Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella and 11 others to appear before court on July 11. Summons have been issued over a case filed over the alleged import of substandard Human Immunoglobulin vials, in order to serve the indictments filed under 13 separate charges against the accused.
The case is to be heard before a Trial-at-Bar comprising High Court Judges Mahen Weeraman, Amali Ranawera and Pradeep Abeyratne.
The Ministry of Energy has issued a public Tender notice for the sale of 14 luxury and decommissioned vehicles currently owned by the ministry.
The list includes high-end SUVs such as Toyota Land Cruisers, BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz E200 CGI, and several other utility vehicles.
Interested bidders must submit a separate application and bid for each vehicle. Application forms can be obtained by paying a non-refundable fee of Rs. 5,000 per vehicle at the Ministry’s Accounts Division on the 3rd Floor, No. 437, Galle Road, Colombo 03, until July 15, 2025, during working hours.
The Tender notice made by the ministry is as follows :