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Speaker urged not to endorse Online Safety Bill without ensuring SC directives are included

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A collective of civil society activists and media organizations has urged Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardhana not to endorse the controversial Online Safety Bill without verifying Supreme Court directives have been fully adhered to.

“We, as civil society activists, firmly believe the Online Safety Bill which completely endangers freedom of expression should be rejected outright. As citizens holding the sovereignty of the country, we, the undersigned, express our strong objection to the hasty passage of the bill on 24 January in the parliament, sans discussion with any stakeholder, and ignoring the directives of the Supreme Court,” they have said in a letter addressed to the Speaker. 

“MPs of the opposition parties have pointed out that the bill was debated and passed in the parliament without the proper inclusion of amendments and guidelines directed by the Supreme Court. Those amendments and guidelines were issued by the Supreme Court after taking into consideration a record of 45 fundamental rights petitions challenging the draft bill.
 We believe, that if what the opposition MPs point out had occurred during the passage of the bill, it clearly violates the Constitution, undermines the sovereignty of the people and has possibly caused contempt of court as well.”

“This letter is also our commitment to continue our fight against regulations that are going to be implemented despite our objections that not only impede our right to free expression but also cause possible harm to the economy,” it adds.

 “It is clear that the government is attempting to make the Online Safety Bill into law urgently to counter the opposition against the government ahead of the forthcoming elections… As the Speaker of Parliament who ensures parliamentary orders are followed, we believe it’s your responsibility to guarantee that the Supreme Court-directed amendments are incorporated into the Online Safety Bill before endorsing it,” the letter further notes.

The full letter is as follows :

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Complete 3rd phase of Central Expressway by 2026 end – Vijitha

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Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation – Vijitha Herath has urged to complete work of the 3rd phase of the Central Expressway by Dec. 31, 2026.

The 3rd phase spans from Pothuhera to Rambukkana.

The minister had said this after inspecting work at the section today (Nov. 09).

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Govt refutes claims of shutting down ‘Thriposha’ company

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The government has refuted reports claiming that Sri Lanka Thriposha Limited (SLTL) is to be closed down.

Issuing a statement, the Ministry of Finance has said no action has been taken or will be taken to liquidate the Thriposha Company.

The statement further notes that the Triposha programme to provide nutrition supplements to children and pregnant mothers will continue forward in a more effective manner.

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58 Lankans arrested in Colombo over alleged online financial fraud

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A group of 58 Sri Lankans has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday (Nov. 08) while residing in a luxury apartment complex on Havelock Road, Colombo, over suspected involvement in an online financial fraud.

They were arrested on a tipoff received by the Computer Crime Investigation Division (CCID) of the CID and were to be produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today (09).

Meanwhile, Police Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa stated that the investigation commenced after a complaint received from a foreign embassy in Sri Lanka. He stated that the funds in question belong to a Korean national residing in South Korea and that funds valued at approximately Rs. 300 million were defrauded.

He added that a 52-year-old woman from Colombo 07, who served as a director, and a 40-year-old man from Ragama, who acted as a manager, are among the arrested persons.

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