Category: News

Courts have granted permission for the excavation of a mass grave in Sampur, the seventh found in the country, under Army supervision.

It is difficult to ascertain if the three men, whose skeletal remains were found there, died of natural causes, JMO Nirmal Borukgama informed Mutur magistrate Tasneem Fawsan on 06 August.

A team from the British deminer MAG stumbled on the skeletons at the beach area on 20 July.

The National Demining Action Centre informed the magistrate it has to be excavated under the guidance of the Army as mines still remain in the area.

The case will be taken up again on 26 August.

Correspondents report documents submitted to courts showed there was no evidence to claim a cemetery existed at the site, a state-land.

It is located near a children’s park and a memorial built to the memory of 57 civilians shot, hacked and burnt to death, allegedly by the Army, on 07 July 1990.

Seventeen aid workers who were murdered in Muttur 18 years ago were remembered on 04 August in Trincomalee, where relatives and human rights activists lit candles in front of a banner with pictures of the slain youths.

The France Action Faim (ACF) workers team of 16 Tamils and one Muslim were gunned down on 04 August 2006.

They were in Muttur to look into the welfare of tsunami-hit people.

The Jaffna-based UTHR, in a report three years later, blamed the military for the killings, with a claim the area was under its control at the time.

It also gave details of the firearms used and other supportive evidence.

However, a presidential commission appointed in 2007 cleared both the Army and the Navy of the charges.

The then government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella claimed the availability of evidence to say the area had been under LTTE control, but which were never revealed.

ACF has vowed to continue the fight for justice for its dead workers.

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya told Parliament yesterday (6) that the Sri Lankan government did not invest any funds in the SupremeSAT satellite project launched by Rohitha Rajapaksa, the youngest son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Responding to a question raised by MP D.V. Chanaka, the Prime Minister clarified that despite the lack of government investment, the project has generated financial benefits for Sri Lanka.

She explained that her response was based on available data submitted by the Board of Investment (BOI).

According to the Prime Minister, SupremeSAT (Pvt) Ltd., a company affiliated with Supreme Global Holdings, entered into an agreement with the BOI on 23 May 2012 to launch a communications satellite. Between 2013 and 2014, the company reportedly invested over Rs. 1.24 billion in the project.

She further stated that based on the investment proposal submitted by the company, no government funds were involved in the project. It was registered under Section 17 of the BOI Act as a project focused on the domestic market.

The company planned to establish and operate a satellite communications system in the Kandy Industrial Zone, with a total investment of Rs. 1.828 billion. The project officially began commercial operations on 27 August 2015, with the aim of providing telecommunication and broadcasting services to customers.

Citing BOI records, the Prime Minister also outlined the company’s income generated in Sri Lanka over the years:

2015–2016: Rs. 16.7 billion
2016–2017: Rs. 28.13 billion
2017–2018: Rs. 31.16 billion
2018–2019: Rs. 34.16 billion
2019–2020: Rs. 42.96 billion
2020–2021: Rs. 62.54 billion
2021–2022: Rs. 87.86 billion
First half of 2023: Rs. 39.5 billion
The shareholding structure of the company as of 2019 was as follows:

Supreme Asset Investments (Pvt) Ltd. held 47.82 million shares (20% shareholding)
Supreme Global Holdings (Pvt) Ltd. held 188.37 million shares (80% shareholding)
The Prime Minister concluded by noting that her statement was prepared using verified information currently available from relevant institutions.

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court today (07) ordered that the case filed against Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Namal Rajapaksa and several other suspects in connection with allegations that Rajapaksa committed an offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act by investing in NR Consultancy (Pvt.) Ltd. an amount of Rs. 15 million, allegedly earned through illegal means while serving as a Member of Parliament, be recalled on January 29.

The complaint was taken up today before Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali.

During the trial, MP Namal Rajapaksa and the other suspects were present in the court.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) informed the court that the Attorney General’s advice on the case has not yet been received.

Accordingly, the Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali ordered the case to be recalled on January 29 and instructed that reminders be sent regarding the Attorney General’s directions.

The case was initially filed during the ‘Yahapalana’ (Good Governance) Government, against Nithya Senani Samaranayake, Sujani Bogallagama, and Sudarshana Ganegoda, who served as directors of NR Consultancy (Pvt) Ltd.

The case also accuses MP Namal Rajapaksa, the eldest son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, of investing Rs. 15 million, allegedly obtained through illegal means, into the company while serving as a Member of Parliament.

Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara presented in Parliament the Presidents’ Entitlements (Repeal) Bill which aims to repeal the Presidents’ Entitlements Act, No. 4 of 1986.

The Bill, once enacted, will repeal special privileges granted to former Presidents, their families and retired Members of Parliament.

The Government of China has officially handed over a humanitarian aid package worth Rs. 400 million to the Government of Sri Lanka to support ongoing flood relief efforts. The donation, facilitated through China Aid, includes a wide range of emergency items such as tent kits, folding bags, power generators, water pumps, blankets, and other essential supplies.

The handover ceremony took place in Colombo, with the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Sri Lanka, Qi Zhenhong, and Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Sampath Thuyacontha, in attendance.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Qi Zhenhong emphasized China’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s post-disaster recovery:

“This shipment has already arrived in Colombo to improve settlement conditions for affected communities. China is willing to actively share its expertise in disaster response, early warning systems, and meteorological monitoring. We look forward to deepening cooperation in these areas to contribute to the safety and well-being of the Sri Lankan people.”

Defence Secretary Thuyacontha expressed gratitude for the timely assistance:

“This generous donation of humanitarian aid, valued at 10 million yuan, comes at a crucial time. As climate change intensifies natural disasters, partnerships like this are vital for building resilience. The aid will be managed by the National Disaster Relief Services Centre and distributed through district secretaries to ensure it reaches those most in need.”

The aid is expected to be deployed swiftly through relevant government agencies to provide relief to flood-affected communities across the island.

A member of the Sri Lanka Navy has been arrested in Minuwangoda on suspicion of being involved in a planned organized crime, including an alleged plot to assassinate a businessman in the Gampaha area.

The arrest was made during a special operation conducted by the Police Special Task Force (STF).

Authorities say the suspect was found in possession of narcotics at the time of arrest.

Initial reports suggest the suspect may have been acting under the direction of a criminal gang, with plans to carry out a targeted killing.

The suspect has been handed over to the Gampaha Crimes Division.