Filing a writ petition in Court of Appeal, 22 government Parliamentarians representing SLPP and several others have sought an order directing the authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation in order to ascertain as to whether former Army Commander General Shavendra Silva, IGP Chandana Wickremaratne or any other respondents have willfully disobeyed the orders given by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to take action to prevent the damages to property and people following the attack on Galle Face protesters on May 9.

Ministers Bandula Gunawardena, Prasanna Ranatunga and 37 SLPP activists including 20 parliamentarians whose properties were damaged or destroyed following the mob attacks filed this petition naming former Army Commander General Shavendra Silva, Defence Secretary Kamal Gunarathne, Senior DIG Deshabandu Thennakoon, Army Commander Lieutenant General H.L.V.M. Liyanage and several others as respondents. The Court of Appeal yesterday fixed the petition for support on January 16. This petition is to be supported by President’s Counsel Sanjeeva Jayawardena.

The petitioners reiterated the importance of conducting a comprehensive investigation in order to ascertain whether there was a politically motivated plan or other agenda to undermine the state.The petitioners stated that former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the capacity of Minister of  Defence had appointed a ‘Board of Inquiry’ consisting of three highly decorated former commanders of tri forces, under the Chairmanship of the Admiral of Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda, to ascertain lapses, if any, by the armed forces and State Intelligence Service, during the recent incidents of violence.

The petitioners said the conduct of former Army Commander General Shavendra Silva during the time period material to the instant application is highly questionable and that he has on several occasions disregarded direct and repeated instructions given to him by the former President, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence to protect the private property of the petitioners as well as other Citizen and also the public property of the State.The petitioners stated that the Board of Inquiry has found that the conduct of General Shavendra Silva on 31-03-2022 and 09-05-2022 are highly suspicious and questionable.

They further alleged that General Shavendra Silva had disregarded repeated instructions from then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Secretary of Defence to take action to prevent the damages to property and people being harmed near Beira Lake at Navam Mawatha in the afternoon and to clear the mob along the Galle road in front of the Temple Trees in spite of having over 4,500 including five Battalions from the elite Air Mobile Brigade, Special Forces and Commandos stationed in different locations within Colombo city limits.

They alleged Sri Lanka Police, and the armed forces, turned a blind eye, and did not take any action to prevent the ongoing violence and protect life and property of the citizens of Sri Lanka, despite the fact that the President had even declared a state of emergency and had issued Emergency Regulations.

(dailymirror.lk)

At an Extraordinary General Meeting held today (15th December, 2022), Sri Lanka Cricket has appointed the following members to the Election Committee of the Sri Lanka Cricket in accordance with the prevailing sports law regulations and Constitution of the SLC to conduct the forthcoming Election of Office Bearers of SLC.

• Justice Ms. Malani Gunaratne – Retired Judge of the Court of Appeal
• Justice Ms. Shiromi Perera – Retired Judge of the High Court
• Mr. Sunil Sirisena – Retired Senior Public Official of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service

The SLC Membership unanimously elected the members of the election committee, who will be now tasked to conduct the election of office bearers at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting of the SLC in accordance with the prevailing sports law regulations and provisions of the Constitution of SLC which is scheduled to be held on 20th May 2023.

Director of the Janashakthi Group – Dinesh Schaffter, who was found tied inside his vehicle at the Borella Cemetery earlier today (15), has passed away.

He had passed away while being treated at the ICU of the Colombo National Hospital.

According an earlier report on the ‘Ada’ newspaper, Mr. Schaffter had left his house telling his wife that he was to meet someone over a loan amounting to several millions of rupees.

Police say that his wife had called him shortly to find her husband’s phone was switched off and his wife’s mobile phone had received signals indicating that he was at the Borella cemetery.

Acting immediately, the wife had contacted an executive officer of the company and sent him to the Borella cemetery. Upon arriving at the cemetery, the executive had  Mr. Schaffter on the car seat with his hands tied and a cord around his neck.

The executive officer had acted immediately with the help of a worker at the cemetery, removed the hands and the cord around the chairman’s neck and took steps to admit him to the Colombo National Hospital.

The police say that a cemetery worker had seen an unknown person leaving near the chairman’s car.

According to a senior police officer, a well-known cricket commentator has taken a loan amounting to several crores of rupees from Mr. Schaffter, who has made 03 complaints to the CID in this regard.

Further investigations are being conducted on the instructions of Borella Police Station Chief Inspector A.J.M.R. Samarasinghe.

(Source / Pics : Ada)