News
Five-judge bench of Supreme Court to hear arguments on 9 July
AG’s appeal against granting bail to accused in SLPP MP’s killing:
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam, PC, has appealed to the Supreme Court against the granting of bail to 41 accused in the killing of Polonnaruwa District SLPP MP Amarakeethi Athukorala and his Personal Security Officer (PSO) Jayantha Gunawardena on 09 May 2022, at Nittambuwa.
The AG’s appeal has been fixed for argument on 09 July, 2024, before a bench comprising five Judges, presided by Justice P. Surasena, the AG’s Department has informed Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC.
The AG’s Department has said so after Minister Rajapakse called for a report in respect of our news report, headlined ‘SLPP MP’s violent death during Aragalaya: Govt should be ashamed of delay in serving justice – Head of National Security Sectoral Oversight Committee‘ published on the front page of The Island edition of April 16.
The Justice Minister has been informed that in spite of strong objections by the AG to release the accused on bail at the time of serving of indictments and to have a day-to-day trial, the Trial-at-Bar released the accused on bail on the grounds that they had been in remand custody for over one year.
The AG has declared that his Department felt aggrieved by the decision of the Trail-at-Bar to release the accused on bail.
MP Atukorale was on his way back home after attending a Temple Trees meeting, chaired by then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, when a mob intercepted his car in the Nittambuwa town. The armed police bodyguard was also killed.
According to the AG’s Department, the initial investigations conducted by the Nittambuwa Police and subsequently taken over by the Homicide Unit of the CID during C.D. Wickremeratne’s tenure as the IGP. Having concluded the investigation, the Homicide Unit of the CID has submitted the relevant material to the AG and sought his advice.
Justice Minister Rajapakse told The Island that he immediately sought clarification from the AG after the latest report was brought to his notice.
Having perused the material submitted by the CID, the AG has decided to move for a Trail-at-Bar, according to the note received by the Justice Minister. The AG dispatched the indictment against 41 accused to the High Court of Gampaha before requesting Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, in terms of 450 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code on May 09, 2023 to consider appointing a Trial-at-Bar to hear the case.
The Chief Justice has given the go ahead by nominating three High Court Judges, Sahan Mapa Bandara, Rashmi Singappulli and. Ruwan Pathirana to have a Trail-at-Bar sitting at Gampaha.
The indictments which were preferred against the 41 accused contained 14 charges, including two counts of murder, around 350 witnesses and 400 productions.
While the AG’s appeal regarding the bail order is pending before the Supreme Court, the Trail-at-Bar commenced and is in progress, the Justice Minister said, referring to the note he received from the AG. The prosecution has concluded the evidence of two witnesses who had played a key role in the course of the investigations. The Court has been informed that their next witness would be Nuwan Sandagiri, the representative of the Government Analyst’s Department who had done the analysis pertaining to the Fascial Recognition of the accused and the digital evidence.
The High Court trial will resume on April 25, 2024, and will continue on Thursday afternoons and Fridays of every week.
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
