News
Shani sees no solid evidence about foreign hand in Easter carnage
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The CID had not received concrete evidence of a foreign hand behind the Easter Sunday bombings until he was removed from the CID in November 2019, former CID Director Shani Abeysekera on Monday night told the PCoI investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.
Abeysekera, who is under remand custody, and is currently receiving treatment at Ward 42 of the National Hospital, following a heart attack, testified via Skype. He had earlier contracted COVID-19.
Abeysekera is in remand custody for allegedly fabricating evidence against former DIG Vass Gunawardena.
The Attorney General’s Department officials questioned him first on the killing of two policemen at a road block in Vavunativu and then asked him about the attacks on Mawanella Buddha statues. Abeysekera said that the police had realized the killing of two policemen in Vavunativu had been carried out by the Islamists only after the Easter Sunday attacks.
Abeysekera: “The act of vandalising the Buddha statues took place on 23 December 2018. The investigation was handed over to CID CI Janaka Marasinghe and others. I also went to Mawanella on 26 December.
The Kegalle police had arrested three suspects but failed to hab two brothers, Sadiq and Shaheed Abdul-Haq, who were the main suspects.”
Senior State Counsel: “Did you go to Mannar on 15 January 2019 for an official purpose?
Abeysekera: “A reliable informant told us that Sadiq and Shaheed were about to leave the country by boat from Mannar. So, I went there on 15 January but information was false. But I asked the informant to be vigilant.”
Senior State Counsel: “The following day, i.e. 16 January, there was a detection of explosives in a Jihadist training camp at Wanathawilluwa?”
Abeysekara: “Yes, Marasinghe and his team had made that detection. After I was told that there were explosives, I told them not to search after dark. Former SDIG of CID was then informed and through him STF was deployed there.”
The AG’s Department representative then told Abeysekara that the CID had informed the court of the detection of explosives and the arrest of four suspects only on 31 January 2019, two weeks after the detection.
Abeysekara told the PCoI that there had been a delay but he had no idea why Marasinghe had taken two weeks to inform the court. Around 8,000 investigations were being carried out by the CID at the time and he was not able to oversee all of them.
A Commissioner: “Then who is responsible?
Abeysekara: “CI Marasinghe was in charge of the investigation. So, he is responsible.”
A Commissioner: “There are senior officers above Marasinghe. Don’t they also have a responsibility?”
Abeysekara: “They do have.”
Senior State Counsel: “Did you ever tell Marasinghe not to take notes of the Mawanella investigation?”
Abeysekara: “No, but even if I had done so, he should not have don so. Without notes, how can he prove that he did an investigation? “
A commissioner then asked Abeysekara whether he had received information about a foreign involvement in the Easter Sunday attacks while he was serving in the CID.
Abeysekara said that on certain occasions there had been some information hinting at a foreign involvement. However nothing concrete came up while he was heading the CID, the witness said.
Abeysekara: “Even foreign investigators were here. They couldn’t uncover anything either. Nothing concrete emerged. I don’t know if new evidence has surfaced now.”
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
