The Colombo Chief Magistrate has pointed out to the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) that a warrant will not be required for the arrest of State Minister Diana Gamage, if she has violated the Immigration and Emigration Act.
Last month, the CID was ordered to obtain a report from the British High Commission in Colombo on Gamage’s citizenship, and to conduct further investigations in this regard.
The relevant report was presented in court today (09 Feb.).
Appearing on behalf of the petitioner, President’s Counsel Rienzie Arsekularatne emphasised that in the event an average person of a non-political background committed such an offence, prompt legal action would have been taken against the said individual, however, no such emergence is being seen in this case owing to the fact that it concerns a State Minister.
Accordingly, the next hearing of the case was fixed for 02 March 2023 on the orders of Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis.
The State Minister currently is at the risk of losing her Parliamentary seat on account of allegations over her citizenship, after social activist Oshala Herath filed a complaint at the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) seeking an investigation into the issuance of a diplomatic passport to the State Minister by the Department of Immigration and Emigration.
Herath alleged that issuing a diplomatic passport to the State Minister is against the Immigration and Emigration Act since she also has British citizenship.
Several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts today (June 24).
Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts during the afternoon or night.
Fairly strong winds of about (30-40) kmph can be expected at times over Western slopes of the central hills and in Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Trincomalee and Hambantota districts.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
The 9th China-South Asia Expo, which opened on June 19 in Kunming, China, will conclude tomorrow (June 24).
This year’s event held under the theme “Solidarity and Coordination for Common Development, has attracted over 1,400 companies from 54 countries and regions, with Sri Lanka as the Guest of Honour country and Thailand as the special partner nation.
China-Sri Lanka bilateral trade reached a record high of USD 5.36 billion in 2024, representing a 13.4% year-on-year increase. This makes Sri Lanka China’s fastest-growing trade partner in South Asia.
The Sri Lankan pavilion was officially declared open by Sri Lanka’s Minister of Trade and Commerce – Wasantha Samarasinghe and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment – Arun Hemachandra, who jointly led the country’s high-level delegation to the prestigious regional event.
CGTN’s Ms. Li Qiuyuan spoke with Mr. Kusal Perera, a political analyst and writer for ‘Sri Lanka Mirror’, about his expectations for the expo.
Speaking, Mr. Perera said that Sri Lanka needs to see how the ‘export basket’ can be diversified from the traditional export goods such as tea, in order to make the most of this platform to boost bilateral trade and engagement with China.
When asked which emerging areas such as energy transformation, digital economy and low carbon development seem to be the most promising for the island nation, Mr. Perera highlighted the importance of a combination of energy, technology and environment. “But in the process, we also have to have our national economy planned to accommodate all that,” he emphasised, adding that it will be a long process for Sri Lanka.
He further commented : “I see China opening up instead of getting into protectionism like Europe. It’s basically the second largest economy in the world… still expanding… still improving… still developing…”
China’s economic openness for all South Asian countries is a huge opportunity in a global economy that now retreats with regulated and protected markets. Protectionism would not be a catalyst for economic growth. We in South Asia have to be open too. China is already open and its economy is growing on global trade. It’s their openness that has taken them everywhere” he adds.
