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Opposition claims govt. afraid of instituting criminal proceedings against DIG Nilantha Jayawardena
By Saman Indrajith
The government was afraid of instituting criminal proceedings against former SIS Chief Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, for such action would inevitably cause the masterminds behind the carnage to be exposed.
Chief Opposition Whip Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella said that if criminal proceedings were instituted, many of those who had blood on their hands would be exposed. The PCoI has said Nilantha Jayawardena was the first to receive a warning of the impending attacks from foreign intelligence agency via WhatsApp. It was later found that he had deleted the messages.
Kiriella said so after SJB Puttalam District MP Hector Appuhamy protested against the government’s failure to respond to his demand that the Minister of Public Security inform the House of the police officers against whom criminal proceedings had been recommended by the PCoI. Appuhamy said that he had raised that question many months back and it appeared for the third time in the Order Paper for yesterday’s proceedings. The response to the question was read out to the House by Leader of the House Education Minister Susil Premajayantha.
Instead of Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles, Susil Premajayantha responded that no police officer had been indicted as per the recommendations of the PCoI and as such consequential questions did not arise. Appuhamy protested that he could not raise supplementary questions as the subject Minister was not present to respond and it was unfair by the victims and amounted to a breach of his privilege as an MP.
Minister Premajayantha said Minister Alles would come to Parliament within the day and respond to supplementary questions of the MP.
Later, Minister Alles, addressing the House said that MP Appuhamy in his questions, had sought to know the names of police officers who had been indicted for the Easter Sunday attacks. “No police officer has been served with indictments in this connection. The PCoI has not indicted any police officer. The Commission has referred the matter to the Attorney General to study and decide what legal action should be taken. The report does not name officers. Until that our Ministry cannot give out names. It is wrong. After the Attorney General serves them indictments, I would be in a position to give names.
Chief Opposition Whip Kiriella said that the answer given by the Minister was wrong. We have perused the available PCoI reports. They specifically mention the name of DIG Jayawardena and it recommends that criminal proceedings should be instituted against him. The government is scared of implementing that recommendation.
State Minister of Indigenous Medicine, Rural and Ayurveda Hospital Development and Community Health Sisira Jayakody: The Easter Sunday terror attacks took place under your government.
Minister Alles challenged the Opposition to mention the number of the page where action had been recommended against DIG Jayawardena.
MP Appuhamy said that on page number 320 of the report the PCoI calls for action against Jayawardena. If you take action against Jayawardena, as recommended by the Committee, the truth will come to light.
Minister Alles: That is his wishful thinking. We are accused of not taking legal action against Jayawardena. There was a case against him and the judgment was given that he should pay 75 million rupees as compensation. If he had names of those responsible, he could have divulged those names there and get out of the fine to save his money.
Chief Opposition Whip Kiriella: That was a civil case. It was not a criminal case. Compensation was ordered as a part of the verdict of the civil case. We know that his fine was paid by those in the government side because many of those in the government and Opposition ranks would have ended up in jails if Jayawardena opened his mouth. The PCoI recommends instituting criminal proceedings.
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
