News
Dispute over Kuliyapitiya property: CA moved against Chamuditha, others – Justice Ministry
Claim of foreign intelligence service’s role in arrest of hired gunman confirmed
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Justice Ministry over the weekend announced that a person named Muthukuda Arachchige Don Suranga Dilruk, proprietor of the building ‘Atambahamula bim vasiya’ in Kuliyapitiya had moved Court of Appeal against journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrema, Harini Amali Cabraal Wijetunga and Keerthi Ratnayake for their comments on the judiciary in relation to an ongoing court case.
The Justice Ministry released the three petitions filed by Dilruk in terms of Article 105(3) of the Constitution.The appeals pertaining to a case heard by the District Court of Kuliyapitiya regarding the ownership of the building called ‘Atambahamula bim vasiya’ consisting of 176 units. The respondents were Gamma International (Pvt) Ltd, Kiribathgoda and two of its directors.
Appearing on ‘Truth with Chamuditha’ released on 20 Sept., 2023, on behalf of Gamma International (Pvt) Ltd., Wijetunga said that the property worth Rs 2-4 bn belonged her company and she was ever grateful to the judiciary for doing away with an interim order issued in connection with the case.
In spite of the favourable court directive received in March this year Kuliyapitiya-based thugs had prevented her from moving into the premises, Wijetunga alleged. Therefore, the services of private security personnel had been obtained to regain the building, she said, claiming that a lawyer hired by her parents to represent their interests had switched his allegiance to the other party.
Chamuditha Samarawickrema told The Island that he was ready to face the legal challenge. He asked why the Justice Ministry had intervened in that matter. Samarawickrema said that there hadn’t been previous instances of the Justice Ministry releasing petitions filed in respect of a private case along with a statement to the media. According to the Justice Ministry, the petitioner moved Court of Appeal having found fault with ‘Truth with Chamuditha’ programme posted on 20 Sept., 2023, two Facebook posts by Keerthi Ratnayake on June 23, 2023 and Aug same year and Chamuditha Samarawickrema’s ‘News Brief’ programme on Aug 23, 2023
Wijetunga has said that she had received a threatening call from a person identified as Ganemulle Sanjeewa soon after another gangster based in Kuliyapitiya involved with the gang called her.
Wijetunga has accused the CID of failing to take action against those involved in spite of her taking up this issue with Public Security Minister Tiran Alles. Declaring that complaints lodged with the CID as well as Police Headquarters hadn’t yielded the expected results Wijetunga justified her decision to seek assistance of a serving officer with the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) to arrest Ganemulle Sanjeewa with the backing of a foreign intelligence service. She has declined to confirm whether India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is the outfit she referred to in her interview with Chamuditha Samarawickrema.
Ganemulle Sanjeewa was taken into custody at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) as he arrived from Nepal on 13 Sept. Wijetunga repeatedly denied allegations that she had the backing of SLPP Kurunegala district MP Johnston Fernando and used political influence to pursue the case over the disputed Kuliyapitiya building.
She has alleged that several lawyers based in Kurunegala and Kuliyapitiya, including an Acting judge had been involved in producing forged deeds and were part of the racket. They wouldn’t be named at the moment on the advice of her lawyers, Wijetunga said, alleging that in addition to the mastermind, a businessman and an MP were involved in this racket. They too would be named and her lawyers had advised her against doing so at the moment, Wijetunga said.
Wijetunga said that her team of lawyers comprising Jagath Wickremanayake, Ronald Perera, Samantha Premachandra, Niroshan Siriwardena and Chaminda Atukorale had handled her case well.
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
