“People in the country can’t afford goods any longer. Mothers don’t have money to give milk to their children,” she said speaking to the media at the event.
Police said she was arrested at 7PM on Wednesday by the Colombo Crimes Division and further investigations will be undertaken by the Fort Police.Sri Lanka’s protestors have been continuously protesting over a change in the political system and the release of protestors currently in custody or detention, particularly those held under the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
Moments after her arrest, a post appeared on her official Facebook page: “The latest victim of state terrorism, Damita Abeyratne. Sri Lankans, where are you?”
Security forces personnel were seen at the protest event held on Wednesday attended by Abeyratne and a crowd of protestors. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa met with the arrested actress Thursday morning and called for her release in a speech he subsequently made in parliament. In her latest Facebook post, Abeyaratne has said: “I will stand up and fight for my motherland in a cursed land. Victory to Mother Lanka. Not afraid to die because we will die someday.”
Auditor General says probe completed; Litro response to be sought
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Former Chairman of the Committee of Public Enterprises (COPE) Prof. Charitha Herath, MP, has said the LP gas supply had been disrupted for eight months as a Litro Gas Chairman had cancelled a tender awarded to a supplier.
The SLPP National List member said so addressing a public meeting organised by the SLPP rebel group, in Kandy, on Saturday (10). Herath was referring to the appointment of Viyathmaga activist Theshara Jayasinghe as Chairman of Litro on July 06, 2021. The LP gas supply remained crippled until Jayasinghe’s resignation on 14 April 2022. Jayasinghe was succeeded by Vijitha Herath, who was replaced by Muditha Peiris on 13 June. The incumbent Chairman previously served as the Managing Director of the state enterprises owned by Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC).
Herath claimed that a dispute between local agents of the supplier chosen by Litro and another led to the disruption of supplies in the wake of the cancellation of the tender. Former Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris and Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, who received the media portfolio during the tail-end of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration, were among those present at the meeting. The rebel group consists of 13 members. At the time the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed Theshara Jayasinghe as Litro Chairman, Anil Koswatte served as the Chairman and the state enterprise has been embroiled in a controversy over the suspension of state audit.
Prof. Herath said it had not been possible to restore the cooking gas supply until the World Bank provided USD 70 mn to the government. Sri Lanka added USD 20 mn to the funds provided by the World Bank. The lawmaker claimed that the supplier whose bid had been rejected earlier had secured the contract through a front. He alleged that a metric ton of gas that could have been procured previously at a cost of USD 96 was finally obtained at USD 129.One-time Media Ministry Secretary alleged that even the funds provided by the World Bank at a time the country was struggling to resolve the economic crisis had been misappropriated.
Acknowledging that they didn’t want to cause another disruption, Prof. Herath said the crisis had been exploited by interested parties to embezzle as much as Rs 1.3 bn. The people had elected Gotabaya Rajapaksa President, hoping for an end to waste, corruption and irregularities. Unfortunately, the public faith in the former President was shattered.Auditor General W. P. C. Wickremaratne yesterday told The Island that his officers had completed the inquiry and would soon send their report to the state enterprise concerned for its response.
The COPE, under the chairmanship of Prof. Herath, also inquired into the failure on the part of Litro to utilize USD 160 mn allocated through the Indian credit line for the procurement of gas. The parliamentary watchdog recommended the appointment of the members of the Board of Directors of Litro through the parent company SLIC instead of through the Ministry of Finance.
Prof. Herath said an investigation had to be conducted, through the Auditor General’s Department, on the cancellation of the term tender, which had been approved by the Cabinet to buy gas from Siam Gas at USD 96 per metric ton and opting to buy 100,000 MT of gas at a cost of USD 129 per metric ton from an Oman company. Instructions had been issued when the members of the top management of Litro Gas Lanka Ltd., Litro Gas Terminal Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd., and Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation were summoned before the COPE to implement the orders given by the previous Committee on Public Enterprises and to discuss the current performance.
Inquiries revealed that since the term tender for the purchase of gas ended in February 2021, tenders had been invited for 2,80,000 metric tons of gas and three gas suppliers submitted bids accordingly. Siam Gas Company submitted the lowest price as USD 96 per metric ton and accordingly the Cabinet has decided to award the tender.The Litro management is on record as having told the COPE that gas could not be obtained from Siam Gas Company due to the economic crisis as banks in Sri Lanka were unable to submit the Standby Letter of Credit (SBLC) to Litro as per the conditions announced during the bidding process.
NEWS
USAID pledges US$60 Mn for SL
Chief of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) yesterday announced a $60 million aid package for Sri Lanka.Addressing the media at the US Embassy, in Colombo, USAID head Samantha Power said it would provide $40 million for fertiliser imports and $20 million for humanitarian needs to tackle the country’s deep financial crisis.Power said: “I have come to convey that the United States stands with you during this unparalleled crisis.”
In a meeting held earlier in the day, Power told President Ranil Wickremesighe that political reform agenda and the economic agenda go hand in hand.She said that the United States is trying to engage the business community to look at Sri Lanka now and to see the opportunities that exist in Sri Lanka.
“But compared to the challenges you face, that is very, very small and very modest. But we want to use our convening power to be catalytic as best we can, at the international financial institutions, with the private sector, with other countries that themselves are looking anew at Sri Lanka and thinking where to go,” she said.
She also highlighted Sri Lanka’s vibrant private sector and said measures should be taken to unleash the potential of the private sector.
“You have such an incredible private sector, such entrepreneurship. But the government, over so many years has largely stood in the way of unlocking that potential instead of fueling it. Mangala used to say, as you know, government has no business running business. And you know what was done in the telecom sector? If that could be done in other sectors in an expeditious and transparent way, to unlock the potential of your people, it would be incredible,” reported the President’s Media Division quoting the Administrator, and Former US Ambassador to the UN.
Power said she conveys on behalf of President Biden that the stand with Sri Lanka, during her meeting with President Wickremesinghe.
“We certainly are here to come together with you and to help take advantage of this rare window of opportunity. Also, for you to be able to make the kinds of changes that have been proposed for so long,” she added.
NEWS
Forced disappearances : Courts moved against Gotabaya again
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By Saman Indrajith
Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa would have to face legal action over the forced disappearance of two Frontline Socialist Party cadres, Lalith Kumar Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandan, 12 years back, Attorney-at-Law Nuwan Bopage told The Island.Hours before embarking on a flight to Geneva to highlight human rights violations in Sri Lanka, Bopage said that Rajapaksa would have to be present in the Court of Appeal on Sept 19.
Bopage, who represents the victims’ families, said that Lalith and Kugan were FLSP members engaged in the party’s human rights circles and went missing on 09 Dec., 2011 while they were making arrangements to celebrate World Human Rights Day marked on the following day in Jaffna. When that was questioned in a Habeas Corpus case the Court was told that the then Government Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said at a Cabinet press briefing that both Lalith and Kugan were under police custody.
Bopage said, “Summoned before the courts, Rambukwella testified that he had received that information from the Defence Ministry, whose secretary at the time was Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
“Rajapaksa was summoned to testify but he did not appear, saying that he was receiving medical treatment abroad.
After Rajapaksa resigned as the President, the Court was moved again but the Attorney General Department said it was not aware of his address. We offered to provide the address to the Court but Rajapaksa returned to the country. Thereafter we submitted his present address and summons should have been issued by now to appear in Court of Appeal on Sept 19.”
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