Mt. Lavinia Additional magistrate Ms. Lochana Abeywickreme Weerasinghe has ordered that an identification parade to be held on 3rd March to identify the suspects, including an army Major, arrested over the abduction and assault on Keith Noyahr in May 2008.
This was when three Army personnel who have been arrested by the CID in connection with the incident were produced in Court today (23rd).
The Magistrate also informed that the presence of Keith Noyahr was compulsory as there wouldn’t be any other identification parade.
The three accused were remanded till 3rd March.
Keith Noyahr, an associate editor of the English language weekly ‘The Nation’ was abducted, severely beaten and was released in May 2008 during Mahinda Rajapaksa regime. After the attack he fled to Australia with his family fearing for his life.
Archives for February 23, 2017
Massive crowd to denounce illegal degree shop
The protest march held by the JVP against SAITM illegal degree selling medical institute took place today under the theme ‘Denounce SAITM that destroys free education’ and the rally is being held now.
A large crowd including leaders of the JVP, trade union leaders, doctors, artistes and students participated.
The rally was addressed by the Leader of the JVP Anura Dissanayaka, its General Secretary Tilvin Silva, the National Organizer of Socialist Students’ Union (SSU) Rangana Devapriya, the General Secretary of All Ceylon Medical Officers Association Dr. Jayantha Bandara and several others.
The large crowd that attended the rally caused heavy traffic around Colombo Fort area.
Seven Earth like planets discovered
NASA, the space agency, along with partners around the world, has found seven potentially Earth-like planets orbiting a star 40 light-years away from us. It is said that this was the first time that so many planets of this kind were found around a same star. Scientists say the seven planets could have some liquid water and maybe life on the surface.
The exoplanets orbit a star in the constellation Aquarius called Trappist-1. And it’s a solar system very different from our own.
For one, Trappist-1 is a tiny, “ultra-cool” dwarf star. It’s cool because it’s small: just about a tenth of the mass of our sun and about one-thousandth as bright. But its low mass allows its planets to orbit it very closely and remain in the habitable zone.
“This discovery could be a significant piece in the puzzle of finding habitable environments, places that are conducive to life,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “Answering the question ‘are we alone?’ is a top science priority, and finding so many planets like these for the first time in the habitable zone is a remarkable step forward toward that goal.”
Land Commissioner who prevented illegal land acquisition shot at
The Commissioner of Lands in Batticaloa District Wimalaraj Nashen was shot at his residence at Kalawanchikudi yesterday (22nd) night. Police media spokesman DIG Priyantha Jayakody said two police teams have been deployed to carry out in connection with the shooting incident.
Mr. Nashen was shot at by an unidentified person who had arrived in a motorbike. The land Commissioner’s condition is not serious say hospital sources.
Mr. Nashen recently, prevented an illegal land acquisition by a group of people who were later arrested by the police and taken before Courts.
VAC wants to tell PC about CB scam
The President of Voice Against Corruption (VAC) and Central Committee Member of the JVP Wasantha Samarasinghe says reports they have compiled in connection with Central Bank Bond scam have been submitted to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Central Bank Bond Issues.
Mr. Samarasinghe said the 250 page report his organization has been already sent to the Commission regarding the involvement of former Central Bank Governor, and his son-in-law’s firm Perpetual Treasuries, in the alleged scam. He said a request also has been made to the Secretary to the Commission asking for an opportunity to give verbal evidence regarding the bond scam.
Mr. Samarasinghe said the report was sent under registered post and he would also hand over a copy of the report to the commission personally.
Raviraj case to be re-examined
The Court of appeal allowed yesterday (22nd) has allowed a petition filed pleading for a re-examination of the Nadarajha Raviraj trial.
The Court of Appeal has made this decision on the petition filed by Ms. Shashikala Raviraj, the widow of the murdered Parliamentarian.
Earlier, Court that heard the case before a special jury acquitted five accused who were on trial for the murder of Parliamentarian Nadarajha Raviraj.
The petitioner states hearing the case before a special jury was not legal when the accused were arrested and indicted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
The Court of Appeal decided to inquire into the petition on 28th March and the accused that had been released were to be noticed to appear in Court on March 28th.
Attempting to wipe out small parties was mistake we too committed
The joint opposition accepts the view expressed that the proposed local government electoral system is intended to wipe out small political parties from the political arena and including clauses that harm political parties other than those enter politics from UNP and the SLFP alliances was a serious folly committed during Mahinda Rajapaksa regime says former minister of Mahinda Rajapaksa regime Dallas Allahapperuma.
He said this responding to a question posed by a journalist at a press conference of the Mahinda faction held yesterday (22nd). He said, “It is a serious mistake, a neglect by the committee. It should be corrected. If a political party doesn’t poll 5% of the total votes those votes would not be counted. I feel this limit is too large for political parties that do not ally with main political parties.”
Mr. Alahapperuma said this process would destroy not small parties but democracy and added that it would lead to guerilla struggles. He proposed to bring down the margin to 2% or 3% to avoid such a situation and added a simple majority in Parliament would suffice to get such amendments adopted in Parliament.
He said the government comes out with various excuses to postpone the local government election and said the joint opposition would agree to have the election according to the old (preferential) system if it was necessary.
COPE wants UGC report on how SAITM given permission to award medical degrees
The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) yesterday (22nd) directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to submit a report within two weeks as to how SAITM illegal medical degree awarding institute at Malabe was given permission to award medical degrees.
It was also decided to summon former UGC Chairman Prof.Kshanika Hirimburegama and former Secretary to the Ministry of Higher Education Dr.Sunil Jayantha Navaratne before COPE on 8th March to question them over the procedure adopted to grant the degree awarding status to SAITM.
The UGC authorities headed by its Chairman Prof.Mohan de Silva along with the Higher Education Ministry Secretary appeared before the COPE yesterday.
Navy Commander, who assaulted journalist, gets extension
The term of the Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne has been extended by President Maithripala Sirisena by another six months say reports.
It was Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunarathna who assaulted a journalist during a strike action that had been carried out in Hambanthota Harbour recently.
The journalist was at the site to report the strike action.
