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Arrest of ex-Prez over Easter bombing remarks sought
(UCAN) Catholic officials and parliamentarians have called for the arrest and interrogation of former Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena over his controversial statement regarding the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.
The call came after Sirisena told the media, on March 22, that he was ready to testify in court to reveal confidential information about the masterminds behind the deadly terror attack on churches and hotels that left 269 dead, including foreigners, and hundreds injured.
Sirisena said he seeks protection and promises of confidentiality from the Court as the public disclosure of the sensitive information could harm him and his family.
Those arrested and detained in the case were the persons he had named earlier, and he could reveal to the judiciary the real culprits who orchestrated the attacks, he said.
The next day Sirisena clarified further that he came to know about the real culprits just three weeks ago and he had decided to provide a close door testimony to the court, considering the sensitivity of the issue.
“If the Court summoned me, I’ll appear and testify under the confidential agreement. The reason for this arrangement is that I fear the safety of not only myself and my children but also other family members if I were to testify in an open court,” Sirisena said.
The ex-President should be immediately arrested and questioned because “concealing criminal information is a crime,” said Oblate priest Father Rohan Silva, who recently filed a complaint over the Easter attack with the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC).
“He should be arrested immediately. If an ordinary person had made such a serious statement, they would have been arrested and interrogated by the police already,” said Silva, a member of the National Catholic Committee for Justice to Easter Sunday Attack Victims.
On behalf of the Sri Lankan Catholic Church, the priest obtained the report from the Malalgoda Committee, a state-appointed body that investigated the Easter Sunday bombings.
“We request the President and the Minister of the police and the CID [Criminal Investigation Department] to immediately arrest the former President and begin interrogation and take necessary legal action against him,” he added.
Catholic lawmaker Kawinda Jayawardena filed a complaint with the CID, accusing Sirisena of concealing vital information related to the attack for nearly five years.
He slammed Sirisena for failing to disclose the information despite appearing before the government commission many times.
There must be a “full-scale investigation” over his fresh claims, Jayawardena told journalists.
Former Cabinet Minister and current lawmaker Vijitha Herath also echoed similar sentiments.
The attack became a turning point in the island nation’s politics because of the state’s failure, so the ex-President must be held responsible, he said.
“After not revealing anything about it for so long, he now claims to know who carried out the attack. It is a serious matter that he is concealing this incident, which caused such a tragedy, as the Commander-in-Chief,” he told the media on March 24.
Deshbandu Tennakoon, Inspector General of Police, said that Sirisena made the remarks as the CID asked him to show up for a statement.
Nine suicide bombers, allegedly linked with a local extremist outfit, National Thowheed Jamath, targeted three Churches and three luxury hotels on April 21, 2019.
Successive governments carried out investigations into the attack. The Catholic Church rejected the state reports for failing to identify the masterminds behind the violence.
Catholic leaders, including Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, and human rights groups, have accused the governments of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and current President Ranil Wickremesinghe of exploiting the tragedy for political gains.
They have also called for an impartial international probe into the bombings and justice for the victims.
Earlier, a Court ordered former President Sirisena to pay 100 million rupees (US$329,790) as compensation to victims of the Easter carnage.
He has so far paid 15 million rupees only and requested the Court to allow him to pay the remainder amount by 2033.
Father Cyril Gamini, spokesman for Cardinal Ranjith told the UCA News that the legal team at the Church is carefully studying the former President’s claims.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
