The South Korean Police has launched an investigation into an incident where the captain of the Sri Lanka women’s rugby team, Dulani Palliyakondage has gone missing following the Asia Rugby Sevens Series.
She is said to have gone missing after the prize-giving ceremony of the tournament yesterday (14). The management of the team has taken steps to make a complaint to the police through the South Korea Rugby Union and it is said that no information has been received until last evening.
The Sri Lankan women’s and men’s rugby teams were scheduled to return to Sri Lanka last night. The South Korean police had informed the Sri Lankan officials that they will continue their efforts to locate her.
Dulani, who played in the women’s final of the Women’s Championship with the Hong Kong team on the last day of the tournament in Namdong, South Korea, joined her team to watch the men’s team between Sri Lanka and the Philippines for the third place. It is also reported that she had talked to the media later on about the team’s defeat and the team’s weaknesses.
The manager had gathered the players to go back to the hotel and she had learned that the team leader was not present at the moment. She had broadcast two messages in Sinhala through the loudspeakers of the stadium asking her to come back to the place where the team was staying.
The manager, who sent the athletes back to the hotel by the team bus about an hour later, has been trying hard to find the missing captain along with the manager of the men’s team, officials of the South Korean Rugby Union and police officers.
The 30-year-old Dulani Palliyakondage, who is an excellent player born in Matara, has represented the national team for almost a decade and has shown outstanding performance in the Asian rugby field.
She has also participated in the rugby tournament of the Commonwealth Games held in England recently.
She has played a great role towards the success of her team in the inter-club rugby field representing the Sri Lanka Army Sports Club.
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.
Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs – Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala has informed Parliament that a renewed investigation is underway into a fraudulent bank account allegedly maintained by Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
He stated that a fake account titled ‘Siriliya Saviya’ had been opened in her name and that the mandate form related to the ‘Siriliya’ Organization’s bank accounts had been fraudulently removed from the bank.
The Minister further revealed :
The account, now suspended, was opened on November 14, 2006, at the People’s Bank, Suduwella Branch, Darley Road, Colombo 10, under account number 143/1/001/4/6235069. Shiranthi Rajapaksa is listed as the chairperson of the account, with Kalyani Dissanayake as secretary and Nirosha Jeevani as treasurer.
The account currently holds a balance of Rs.43 million. Records indicate that Rs. 82,900,088 had been deposited on 88 occasions, while Rs.39,015,656 had been withdrawn on 129 occasions. Additionally, a fixed deposit of Rs.10 million had been opened under the name ‘Siriliya’.
The Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) has resumed investigations into the matter.
Deputy Minister also mentioned several other questionable financial transactions involving the Rajapaksa family, such as ;
Rs.152 million allegedly obtained by CSN (Carlton Sports Network) from the Treasury.
Rs.35 million obtained by Gotabaya Rajapaksa from the Urban Development Authority to build a memorial for his parents.
Rs.208 million used by Basil Rajapaksa to purchase a house in Malwana.
