Two police constables who were arrested for taking away 2 kilograms of heroin in an Allion car with registered number WP KC 4930 that had been seized with a large haul of heroin  and was parked at Borella Police were produced before court and were released on bail yesterday (11th).

The Allion car had been seized at Nagahawatta area at Wanathamulla in Borella on 15th July wih 11 kilograms of heroin worth Rs.60 million and cash Rs.3.3 million and was parked at Borella Police Station to be produced in court.

Two kilos of the haul of heroin that was to be produced in court had been taken away in the car. While returning it met with an accident near Magazine Prison. The secret trading of heroin seized by the police was exposed due to the accident. Two constables have been interdicted but the senior police officers behind the racket have not been exposed.

When the haul of heroin was seized there had been 11 kilogramms. However, when the cse was filed it had come down to 9 kilogramms. The two constables who were involved in transporting the heroin in the Allion car had been released on direct mediation of Senior DIG Anura Senanayaka say reports.

Mahiyanganaya electorate has been brought under the STF until the election for Uva PC is held and results are announced says Senior DIG Gamini Nawaratna.

This decision has been taken on a request made by the Commissioner of Elections Mahinda Deshapriya after an Asst. Commissioner of Elections was threatened with death by UPFA Parliamentarian Thenuka Vidanagama and his brother Anura Vidanagama, a UPFA candidate for the Uva PC election, and their supporters.

At the discussion held between the Commissioner of Elections and secretaries of political parties the general Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva emphasized that all election officials should be given sufficient police protection.

However, political analysts have expressed concern regarding deploying STF when sufficient number of police personnel is available to provide such protection.

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JVP writes to Commissioner re violations on the 6th

UPFA supporters violate election laws in Badulla – CaFFE

At the discussion held between the Commissioner of Elections and secretaries of political parties the issues raised by the General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva have been accepted by the DIG Gamini Nawaratna who was present.

Mr. Tilvin Silva has raised the issues of obstructions to duties of election officials and the inadequacy displayed by the police on the 6th, the day nominations were closed. He had raised the issues of providing VIP security for UPFA candidates, taking no action regarding motorcades held by politicians of the government and not providing sufficient security for election officials.

He had emphasized that security divisions of VIPs getting involved in election campaign is a serious matter and rules and regulations relevant to such conduct should be implemented properly.

The Commissioner of Elections said that legal action has been already taken regarding incidents that occurred on the day the nominations were closed.

UPFA Parliamentarian for Badulla District Thenuka Vidanagama, his brother former Minister of Uva PC and candidate for the forthcoming election for Uva PC Anura Vidanagama and one of their supporters, who were charged with obstructing duties of election officials and threatening a Deputy Elections Commissioner with death and were warranted, surrendered to Mahiyanganaya Police yesterday (8th).

The two Vidanagama brothers who were produced before Mahiyanganaya Court were released by the Acting Magistrate of Mahiyanganaya Gamini Rambakanpura on Rs.100,000 bail while the other suspect Kasun, who surrendered with them, was remanded till the 11th.

The person Kasun is not the real person who was involved in the incident but was produced to conceal the involvement of Kasun Chutty, a warranted criminal, who was actually involved in the incident. Also, the  of Deputy Elections Commissioner  Namal Thalangama who had said he was ‘threatened with death’ has been altered to include only the word ‘threatened’ without the word’ death’ so that the two Vidanagamas could be given bail say reports.

The vehicles and officers of the Presidential Security Division have been deployed by the President for election campaigning of the Uva PC election. This was revealed when police officers with an election commissioner unsuccessfully attempted to stop an illegal motorcade held by Anura Vidanage, a candidate of the UPFA for PC election.

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UPFA supporters violate election laws in Badulla – CaFFE

Japanese government has made a financial donation to renovate the Southern Highway. The Ministry of Ports & Highways has allocated Rs.316,250,000 as part of the contribution from the government.

There is no information regarding this ‘erosion’ of the highway while the Ministry of Ports & Highways has allocated the money through a supplementary estimate in addition to allocations from the budget.

The funds have been allocated on the 21st May. The Ministry is under the President.

“We are happy about the present constitution that includes the executive presidential system’” says cabinet spokesman Minister Kedheliya Rambukwella. He said this at the media briefing held to inform cabinet decisions.

Speaking further Minister Rambukwella said despite abolishing the executive presidency had been included in ‘Mahinda Chinthanaya’, there is no mention of it in Mahinda Chinthanaya Idiri Dakma’ that is being implemented now.

An agitation was held opposite the US Embassy in Colombo today (8th) by the JVP protesting against the barbaric attacks carried out against Palestinians by Israel with the support of the USA.

Thousands of Palestinian unarmed civilians including children and women have been killed already due to the attacks by Israel. Many thousands have been injured and rendered homeless in Gaza. Progressive masses all over the world are expressing their opposition to the savage attacks by Israel.

An attempt to hand over a letter protesting against barbaric attacks by Israel on Palestinians and demanding the warmongers to allow Palestinians to live peacefully was unsuccessful as no responsible official was present to accept it. As such, the JVP expressed its protest by pasting the letter on the front entrance of the Embassy.

The Information Secretary of the JVP Vijitha Herath, the National Organizer of the JVP and the Socialist Youth Union Bimal Ratnayaka and the Member of the Central Committee of the JVP and the National Organizer of Socialist Students Union Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa were present with a large number of JVP members and supporters.

The country and the people are subjected to a serious international jeopardy due to the improper operation of country’s foreign service says the Leader of the JVP Anura Dissanayaka moving an adjournment motion in Parliament yesterday (6th). He said 35 out of the 49 diplomats appointed to represent Sri Lanka are political appointees.

He revealed that in addition to relatives and party sympathizers, former girl friends of powerful people in the government have been appointed for the foreign service and added that Sri Lanka’s foreign service has been brought down to the level of a SLFP branch.

Among the political appointees Mr. Dissanayaka revealed are:

Sarath Kongahage – Ambassador, Germany – Former Chairman of SLRC

Nawalage Bannet Cooray – Ambassador, Italy – Former SLFP organizer for Kolonnawa

Gamini Rajapaksa – Ambassador, Jordan – Former Deputy Minister of the UNP government

H.R. Piyasiri – Ambassador Myanmar – Former Parliamentarian of the UNP

Buddhi Athawuda – Ambassador, Netherlands – Minister Athauda Senevirtna’s son

Udayanga Weeratunga – Amabssador, Russia – Presidents brother in law

Jaliya Wickremesooriya – Ambassador, USA – President’s brother in law

Dikson Daala – High Commissioner Maldives – father of Pradeep Nilanga Daala, Diyawadana Nilame of the Temple of the Tooth, a close friend of the President.

ASP Liyanage- Ambassador Nigeria – a property trader and a close friend of the President

Oshadhi Alahapperuma– Ambassador Sweden, Younger brother of Minister Dulles Alahapperuma

Yasara Abeynayake – Consular in Sydney – Gamini Fonseka’s daughter

Bharathy Wijeratna – Ambassador, Turkey – Former Minister Mano Wijeratne’s wife

Dr. Yvonne Amarasinghe – Ambassador, Vietnam – President’s close friend

Srimal Wickremesinghe – Deputy Head, Vienna – Brother of Ms. Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of the President

Waruna Epasinghe – Embassy in Washington – A son of a government adviser

Karaunaratna Pranavithana – Consul General, Canada – former Chairman of SLRC, a defeated candidate at an election

WKS Dissanayaka – first Secretary , Abu Dhabi – a relative of the President

Lalith U. Gamage – Indonesian Embassy – a SLFP politician from Galle

HNB Ratnayaka – Second Secretary, Russia – Minister C,B, Ratnayaka’s son

Lionel Premasiri – Deputy Secretary General, Canada – Former organizer of the SLFP in Galle

Harshana Herath – Second Secretary, Singapore – Chief Minister of Sabaragamuwa PC Mahipala Herath’s son

Chamithri Rambukwelela – Second Secretary, New York – Minister Keheliya Rambukwella’s daughter

Muthu Padmakumara – Second Secretary, London – the daughter of Chairman of Lake House Bandula Padmakumara

Methsiri Cooray – Ambassador, Netherlands – President’s close friend

Dr. Crtin Waidyarathna, High Commissioner  in London – wife of Dr. Ajith Ratnayaka

Umayangana Randeniya – Second Secretary, Singapore – Daughter of Ravindra Randeniya, adviser to the President

Commander JM Bandara – Second Secretary, Kuwait – Bother of National list MP Janaka Bandara

Dixon J. Perera – Consul General, Nepal – Former Secretary of the SLFP

MI Kudukewaththa – First Secretary, Beijing – The daughter of the head of the Presidential Security Division

Rathna Ranaweera – Second Secretary, Canberra – The daughter of the Additional Secretary to the President

Farial Ashroff – High Commissioner, Singapore – Former Parliamentarian

Just as reports of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) are presented every year, frauds and corruption too are committed without any lessening says the President of ‘Voice against Corruption’ (VOC) Wasantha Samarasinghe. He said despite frauds and corruption are exposed no action is being taken. COPE is a committee established by the parliament.

This was stated at a media conference held by the VOC in Colombo. Attorney at Law Sunil Watagala and the General Secretary of All Ceylon Bank employees Union Gamini Ratnasiri also participated.