News
Lawyer’s role in Aeroflot drama: BASL won’t seek SC intervention; law firm declines to comment
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) yesterday (10) said that it couldn’t report the lawyer involved in the Aeroflot affair to the Supreme Court, without inquiring into the incident.It transpired, before High Court Judge, S. M. H. S.P. Sethunge, in the Commercial High Court of the Western Province, that Attorney-at-Law Aruna de Silva had accompanied a fiscal officer of the same Court to the Bandaranaike International Airport, on 02 June to deliver a Court ruling in a case filed by Ireland-based Celestial Aviation Trading Company Ltd., against Aeroflot.
Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, in a recent Swarnawahini interview, said that a lawyer, accompanying a Court officer to deliver a Court ruling was extraordinary. The Minister stressed the need for a thorough investigation.However, the BASL’s Professional Purpose Committee could initiate an inquiry only if the outfit received a complaint from the public. BASL President Saliya Pieris, PC,said when The Island asked whether he would request
Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya to inquire into the lawyer’s conduct. The BASL President was also asked whether he would issue a statement regarding the incident that received international media coverage.The President’s Counsel said: “BASL makes such a request to the Supreme Court only upon a complaint made to it and an inquiry by its Professional Purpose Committee. We have not got any complaint so far against any lawyer in this regard.”
Lawyer de Silva appeared for the plaintiff with Avindra Rodrigo, PC, (litigation) of FJ & G.de Saram, leading law firm from the colonial times.A spokesperson for the law firm declined to comment when The Island asked whether they were inquiring into allegations against the lawyer. President’s Counsel Rodrigo was not immediately available for comment. The Spokesperson promised to pass the query made by The Island to the President’s Counsel concerned.Attorney-at-Law Dasun Nagasena, Coordinating Secretary to Dr. Rajapakse, said that the Justice Ministry had taken steps to recommend action against the Attorney-at-Law to the Chief Justice. Nagasena said that the fiscal officer who served the Justice Ministry had been interdicted, pending further investigations.
High Court judge Sethunga is on record as having said that he didn’t order the BIA not to permit Aeroflot SU 289 to take off on the afternoon of June 02.Former Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (ret.) Sarath Weerasekera, MP, told The Island that the government should conduct a thorough inquiry into the Aeroflot affair.
Declaring that the high profile move that had been made at the BIA was the culmination of an ongoing destabilisation project directed at Sri Lanka, lawmaker Weerasekera said the government seemed to have lost control of the situation. Responding to another query, the Colombo District MP said that in addition to a proper inquiry, the government should ascertain the diplomatic fallout as Russia had stopped not only Aeroflot flights to Sri Lanka since the fiasco but also Russian tourists to Sri Lanka. According to reports, Moscow has also halted granting of annual scholarships to Sri Lankan students.MP Weerasekera said that the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), too, should inquire into the incident as manipulation of Court proceedings was an extremely serious development. Perhaps, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) should intervene to ascertain the truth, the former 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
