Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Switzerland Sarath Kongahage said a private media agency in Sri Lanka obtained a statement from him regarding the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks by giving him false information and used that statement in the ‘Channel 4’ documentary.
He said that the journalist who obtained the statement told him that he wanted an interview for the ITN channel in London.
Accordingly, he said that he never knew that the interview was obtained by the British Channel 4, and that he would not have made any statement if he had known.
He said that he had been lied to and two white men were brought to his home and that Channel 4 had completely distorted his statement. He said that this person spoke to him in March last year and accordingly he had given the interview.
He said this while speaking at a press conference held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. “A statement was taken from me regarding the attack on Easter Sunday. They came to my house and conducted the interview. I was told that it is for the London ITN channel. So I also gave them an interview. However, later they broadcast it on Channel 4 in Britain. Only later did I know. Initially, if I had known about this, I would not have given any interview to that channel,” Kongahage said.
“A friend of mine who works in a private channel was the one who visited. I said that the terrorist attack on Easter Sunday was the work of ISIS terrorists or Muslim extremists. I asked how Mahinda Rajapaksa won the Presidential Elections in 2005 and 2010. Mahinda Rajapaksa was the most popular person at the time.”
“Also, the required footage has been provided to Britain’s Channel 4 by a local television channel,” he said.
Two air passengers attempting to smuggle gold worth Rs. 210 million concealed among vehicle spare parts, were arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday (May 15).
The suspects, a 26-year-old from Grandpass, Colombo, and a 46-year-old from Rambukwella, Kandy, had arrived from Dubai on Emirates flight EK-650 at 8:30 am.
Both individuals are believed to be couriers operating on behalf of local businessmen, frequently transporting goods from abroad.
Leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF) – Wimal Weerawansa has stated that while it took 76 years for the price of a salt packet to reach Rs.60, the current government managed to raise the price to Rs. 400 within just seven months.
He made these remarks yesterday (May 15) during a media briefing held at the NFF headquarters in Colombo.
Weerawansa heavily criticized the current government, saying that although it operates under the banner of a so-called “renaissance”, it is in fact a government that fails to take any meaningful decisions.
“It took 76 years for a packet of salt to cost Rs.60. However, within 07 months, this government had raised the price to Rs.350 – Rs.400. This is the drama of the so-called renaissance.”
He also ridiculed the government’s narrative that the salt shortage is somehow part of a shift toward healthy eating habits.
Weerawansa emphasized that the current crisis reflects the government’s incompetence and insensitivity to the grave economic hardships faced by the people.
No salt produced this year – Lanka Salt Chairman
Meanwhile, Chairman of Lanka Salt Ltd. – Mr. D. Nandana Thilaka has stated no salt has been produced this year due to continuous adverse weather and rainfall.
He said that this adverse weather conditions has affected not only Hambantota but many other salt producing areas including Elephant Pass.
He further explained that in 2024, the company had planned to produce 125,000 MT of salt, but adverse weather conditions only allowed for the production of 40,000 MT.
Usually, salt harvesting starts in March every year, but the poor weather conditions have hindered this, according to the chairman.
While there has been a shortage of salt crystals in the market, table salt stocks remain unaffected, he clarified.
He further stated that Lanka Salt Ltd. had issued 100,000 packets of 400g table salt to Lanka Sathosa on May 14, and another 100,000 packets were to be issued yesterday (May 15).
The National Fertilizer Secretariat has launched an islandwide investigation to identify and remove substandard fertilizer from the local market.
The probe is being carried out through district Assistant Directors islandwide.
Director of the secretariat – Mr. Chandana Lokuhewage states that the investigation commenced following the recent raid of substandard fertilizer in the Polonnaruwa area.
Police had seized 1,565 bags of urea fertilizer during the raid in Siripura, Polonnaruwa.
Samples from the seized stock are to be sent to Colombo for laboratory testing, Lokuge confirmed.
12 suspects arrested in this regard have been remanded until May 28 after they were produced before the Dehiattakandiya Magistrate’s Court.
