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Johnston and Admiral Sarath raps CID
Chief Government Whip and Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said last week that the CID has opted to harass and hound the media that exposed the alleged garlic scam instead of probing it and taking legal action against the perpetrators.
“This is a classic example of shooting the messenger. The CID should have gone after the officials involved in alleged scam at Lak Sathosa. Instead they have gone after the media personnel who reported it. By doing so they also brought disrepute to the government. Government cannot condone such acts. It is committed to ensure media freedom,” he said. “We regret the incident. It should not have happened.”
“This is a serious incident because CID officers have gone to newspaper offices after Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekera had instructed them not to do so. We should investigate this to find whether anyone in the CID has an interest to put the government in difficulty,” the Minister said speaking to journalists during a ceremony held at his ministry’s auditorium on Thursday.
The ceremony was held to hand over keys of 22 houses built at a cost of Rs 340 million for policemen who lost their homes owing to the construction of a flyover above the Slave Island Railway Station and the Beira Lake connecting Baladaksha Mawatha and Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha.
Project requirements resulted in the removal of 42 housing units of the Slave Island police quarters. The Road Development Authority and the Urban Development Authority will provide new housing to those who lost their quarters, Fernando said.
Twenty two housing units in the first phase were provided under the Metro Housing Complex while the remaining 20 would be provided in the future. The keys of 22 houses were handed over to Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekera who is in charge of the police by Minister Fernando on Thursday.
Weerasekera said Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena had lodged a complaint with the CID pertaining to the alleged garlic scam. He had however not named any media institution or journalist in his complaint.
Some journalists, including the editors of several newspapers, had been summoned by the CID. “As soon as I heard of the summoning I spoke to the IGP and instructed him not to do that. Even Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa issued similar instructions.
Thereafter, contrary to the instructions given, some CID officers had visited newspaper officers. We apologize to the journalists who were subject to questioning. We have called for a report from the IGP in this regard,” the minister said.
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
