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Johnston demands one billion rupees in damages from ex-JVP MP Wasantha
For alleging fraud amounting to Rs 164.4 billion in the the Second Phase of the Central Expressway Chief Government Whip and Highways Minister Johnston Fernando has demanded one billion rupees in damages from former JVP MP Wasantha Samarasinghe, who recently alleged that a fraud to the tune of Rs 164.4 billion had taken place in the implementation of the Second Phase of the Central Expressway.
Minister Fernando, in a letter of demand sent through his lawyer, states that Samarasinghe made false allegations at a press conference on Feb 20 and that the latter continued to repeat the same false, malicious and defamatory allegations through various media platforms, both print and electronic.
The letter of demand by Attorney-at-Law Kasun Weerasekera says: “I am instructed that you convened a press conference on or about 20th February 2022 under the banner of ‘Voice Against Corruption Organization’ whereby you intentionally, falsely, wrongfully, and maliciously prejudiced and defamed my client by stating that my client is in the process of committing a financial fraud amounting to Rs. 164.4 Billion during the construction of the 20km stretch of the Central Expressway from Galagedara to Rambukkana.
“Details of the said defamatory statements levelled against my client by you at the aforesaid press conference dated 20th February 2022 are inter-alia as follows; i. That tenders had been called for the construction of the aforesaid 20 km stretch of the Central Expressway from Galagedara to Rambukkana, ii. That approval of tenders for the aforesaid project are under the purview of a Cabinet Appointed Negotiating Committee designated as CANC, iii. That bids were submitted by two companies, namely a Chinese Company named Metallurgical Corporation (MCC) and a Sri Lankan Company named Lanka Infrastructure Development Consortium (LIDC), iv. That the lower bid submitted by MCC amounting to USD $ 1,050 million (Rs. 210 Billion) had been rejected by the said Committee in favour of the higher bid submitted by LIDC amounting to USD $ 1,872 million (Rs. 374.4 Billion).”
While vehemently denying the false, wrongful malicious and defamatory allegations levelled by Samnarasinghe, the Minister states that Second Phase project of the Central Expressway was still in the procurement stage and tenders have yet to be even called for the said project. Only four companies have so far subjected themselves to be assessed at the procurement stage of this project, and no such Chinese Company by the name referred to by you has submitted a proposal for the same.
The lawyer’s letter said: “In the said circumstances, I am instructed that the contents of the aforesaid statements uttered by you and given wide publicity in the print and electronic media as well as on your official YouTube and Facebook page/channel are patently false, and have been deliberately and maliciously stated by you without any evidence to shock the conscience of the public at large and cause public outrage and hatred towards my client by falsely alleging that a such colossal and unprecedented sum of Rs. 164.4 Billion has been defrauded by my client, a figure that is purportedly over ten times more than the purported loss suffered by the State due to the infamous Bond Scam of 2015- 2017 period which in itself caused significant public outrage at the time.
“Thereby I am instructed that the aforesaid false, untrue words and/or statements made by you towards my client are defamatory both per-se as well as by innuendo and have been made without lawful justification or excuse and that you published and/or caused to be published the said statements and/or words with animus injuriandi and express malice against my client.”
“Further, the said statements and/or words made by you have wrongfully, maliciously and falsely attributed bad moral character to my client and seeks to diminish his social standing among the public, in furtherance of your own ulterior and collateral political motives, while acting in gross violation of my client’s rights.
“I am instructed that my client estimates the damages caused by you to my client at One Billion Rupees (Rs. 1,000,000,000/-). In the aforesaid circumstances, I am instructed to demand from you and demand is hereby made for the settlement of said One Billion Rupees (Rs. 1,000,000,000/-) to my client within 14 days hereof.
“In the event of your failure to do so within the above said period, I have received further instructions to put you on Notice and Notice is hereby given that my Client will be instituting legal action against you for the recovery of the said total sum of One Billion Rupees (Rs. 1,000,000,000/-) together with costs of suit and Legal interest due thereof.”
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.
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