President Ranil Wickremesinghe has signed a Gazette notification a short while ago declaring several services as essential.

The gazette notification declares public transports services for passengers or goods, discharge, carriage, landing, storage, delivery & removal of articles of food or drink, or coal, oil, fuel from vessels within any port as defined for the purposes of the Customs Ordinance (Chapter 235), the provision and maintenance of facilities for transport services by road, rail or air, including roads, bridges, culverts, airports, ports & railway lines, as essential services with immediate effect, the PMD notes.

Three persons, including two monks, have been arrested for helping an individual who was in the custody of the Katunayake airport Police, to escape.

The Western Province South Crimes Division stated that the two monks and another person who had operated as the driver of the vehicle transporting the suspect, were arrested in the Hettipola area.

The Police had seized the vehicle used to escort the wanted suspect, while they had also seized two bags belonging to the suspect who had attempted to flee to Dubai.

The suspect, identified as Korale Kankanamlage Ravindu Warnasinghe alias ‘Booru Moona’ was wanted for gunning down a restaurant owner in the Hanwella area in December 2022.

The Police had obtained a travel ban from the court after identifying the suspect and had informed the Department of Immigration and Emigration in this regard.

However, the suspect had attempted to flee to Dubai under a fake identity and was arrested and placed in the custody of the Katunayake airport Police, during which two Buddhist monks had aided and abetted his escape.

Related News :

Aiding ‘Booru Moona’ flee country: BIA police officers’ bank accounts to be probed

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) ‘Sukanya’ arrived at the Port of Colombo on an official visit this morning (27) and was welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in compliance with naval traditions.

INS ‘Sukanya’ is a 101m long Offshore Patrol Vessel manned by 106 crew members.

Commanding Officer of the ship Commander Pranav Anand called on the Commander Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Suresh De Silva at the Western Naval Command Headquarters this morning.

Further, a group of children of Diyakithulkanda Primary School in Galle will visit the ship and arrangements are in place to hand over school supplies, donated by the Indian Navy, to those children as well.

During the stay in the country, the crew of the ship will take part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy to promote cooperation between two navies and visit some of the tourist attractions.

Concluding her official visit, ‘INS Sukanya’ will depart the island on 01st March and she is expected to engage in a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with a ship of the Sri Lanka Navy off Colombo.

(Pics : navy.lk)