The United National Party (UNP) marks its 80th anniversary today(06), with a commemorative programme scheduled at the party headquarters in Pitakotte. The event will be held at 9 a.m. under the patronage of UNP Leader and former President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The UNP was founded on 6 September 1946 at Palm Court Mansion in Colombo, with D.S. Senanayake as its first leader. The party has since been led by several prominent figures, including Dudley Senanayake, John Kotelawala, J.R. Jayewardene, Ranasinghe Premadasa and Ranil Wickremesinghe.

UNP marks 80 years since its founding

Former State Minister Premalal Jayasekara had left Sri Lanka before the Supreme Court imposed a travel ban on him, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has revealed. The Supreme Court on 4 September ordered Jayasekara and two other accused to be prevented from travelling overseas in connection with the 2015 presidential election rally shooting case. The CID found that Jayasekara had travelled overseas in August while investigating the court order. Police stated that he had arranged his return flight before leaving the country. The Supreme Court has also directed the three accused to appear before the court on 21 October 2026.

Premalal Jayasekara  left Sri Lanka before travel ban, CID reveals

Teldeniya Police have arrested 41 suspects, including five women, during a raid on an illegal party held in the Victoria area of Teldeniya. Police stated that the party had been organised through social media and was raided based on information received by officers. The seized items included cannabis, hashish, crystal methamphetamine, 18 ecstasy pills, 21 illicit cigarettes, 35 cans of beer and 13 bottles of arrack. The male suspects are aged between 21 and 40, while the female suspects are aged between 22 and 43. They are residents of several areas including Kandy, Peradeniya, Pallekele, Katugastota and Hanguranketha.

41 arrested after drug raid at Teldeniya party

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has denied allegations against its National Organiser, MP Namal Rajapaksa, who was arrested and remanded over the controversial Airbus deal. SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam stated that the allegations were baseless and politically motivated. He also accused attempts to use independent state institutions for political purposes and questioned the timing of the arrest ahead of the party’s planned public rally in Anuradhapura. The SLPP stated that the rally scheduled for 12 September will go ahead as planned, despite Namal Rajapaksa being remanded.

A’pura rally to go ahead despite Namal’s arrest

Showers or thundershowers may occur in parts of Uva, Central and Eastern provinces and Polonnaruwa and Mullaittivu districts after 2 p.m. today(06), the Department of Meteorology stated. Fairly heavy rainfall exceeding 75 mm is possible in some areas of Uva and Eastern provinces. A few showers are also expected in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and Galle and Matara districts. The public has been advised to take precautions against strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

Fairly heavy rainfall expected in several areas

<ul><li>OHCHR report to be presented in Geneva on Monday&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>SL’s Permanent Representative to the UN to deliver Govt. response</li><li>OHCHR flags custodial violence, continued PTA use&nbsp;</li></ul>&nbsp;The latest United Nations (UN) report on Sri Lanka has warned that the National People’s Power (NPP)-led Government’s commitments to truth, justice, and systemic reform risk stalling, citing severe external shocks, escalating custodial violence, and a failure to dismantle repressive State machinery.&nbsp;The report, released by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), will be presented at the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday (7).Foreign Ministry Spokesman and Director General Thushara Rodrigo told The Sunday Morning that while no delegation would travel from Colombo, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva would deliver the Government’s response. The Permanent Mission in Geneva will respond to the queries raised in line with the Sri Lankan Government’s position.&nbsp;&nbsp;According to the report, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration, which assumed office in late 2024, has had its reform agenda severely complicated by successive shocks. Cyclone Ditwah struck on 28 November 2025, affecting 2.2 million people across all 25 districts.&nbsp;By mid-April this year, the Government reported 687 deaths, 147 people missing, and more than 115,000 homes damaged or destroyed, with total recovery costs estimated at $ 3.4 billion. Spillover effects from the armed conflict in West Asia from late February further drove up fuel, fertiliser, and energy prices.&nbsp;By May, Sri Lanka’s poverty rate stood at 22.1%, with deprivation concentrated in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Electricity tariffs rose twice in early 2026 under International Monetary Fund (IMF)-negotiated cost-reflective pricing, prompting a Rs. 15 billion Government subsidy for low-income households.&nbsp;The 2026 Budget allocated 82.59% of total Government revenue to debt servicing, compared to a combined 6.3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for health, education, and social protection.&nbsp;The UN raised grave concern over violent incidents inside detention facilities, particularly clashes at the Negombo Prison in July that killed at least 32 people – 22 detainees and 10 officials – which it attributed to prison overcrowding and overcriminalisation of minor offences.&nbsp;The report also detailed custodial deaths at the Welikada Prison, Karadiyanaru Police Station, and Jaffna Prison between 3 and 24 May this year. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka documented 18 custodial deaths and 602 torture cases in 2025, alongside 1,125 arbitrary arrests, of which 530 saw no Police action.&nbsp;The report highlighted the widening gap between the NPP’s pledge to abolish the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and its continued use, with 46 cases recorded in 2025 and 12 more by March this year.&nbsp;The draft Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA), published in December 2025 as a replacement, was found by the OHCHR to reproduce and expand the PTA’s most problematic features, including overbroad criminalisation and risks of arbitrary detention.&nbsp;Civil society organisations and journalists, particularly Tamils and women human rights defenders in the north and east, continued to face surveillance and harassment, the report stated, while a draft NGO (Registration and Supervision) Bill shared in July has drawn alarm for granting the Ministry of Defence clearance powers over independent organisations.&nbsp;On accountability, the report noted developments including the 31 July conviction and death sentence handed to former Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara and former Secretary of Defence Hemasiri Fernando over the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, and a travel ban imposed on former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in June. The UN, however, voiced concern that the proceedings may not meet international fair trial standards.&nbsp;Separately, exhumations at the Chemmani-Siththuppaththi mass grave site in Jaffna have yielded the remains of more than 477 individuals as of late July.&nbsp;UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged Sri Lanka to impose an immediate moratorium on the PTA, repeal the Online Safety Act and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act, and undertake security sector reform, including vetting of officers implicated in violations.&nbsp;He also called on member states to consider targeted sanctions, including asset freezes and travel restrictions, against individuals credibly alleged to be responsible for serious rights violations.

UN sounds alarm over stalling reform drive

<ul><li>CIABOC alleges payments linked to SriLankan Airlines aircraft procurement</li><li>Businessman claims $ 800,000 received in Singapore; equivalent handed to Rajapaksa</li><li>Airbus officials prepared to testify in SL: CIABOC</li></ul>&nbsp;&nbsp;SLPP National Organiser MP Namal Rajapaksa was remanded until 18 September by Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama on Friday (4), after being arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over allegations that he had accepted Rs. 100 million in bribes linked to an aircraft procurement deal involving SriLankan Airlines.Rajapaksa appeared before the CIABOC on Friday morning in connection with the investigation and was arrested by the commission’s investigating officers at around 2.15 p.m. the same day after providing a five-hour statement.According to the CIABOC, the investigation concerns funds allegedly paid as bribes in connection with the purchase of aircraft for SriLankan Airlines. The commission alleges that € 1,454,651.24 was received as a bribe into an account maintained at Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore under the name Biz Solutions Inc.&nbsp;Of that amount, $ 800,000 was allegedly transferred to an OCBC Bank account in Singapore held under Sabre Vision Holdings Ltd., a company owned by a Sri Lankan businessman. The commission alleges that, corresponding to those funds, Rajapaksa received a total of Rs. 100 million from a Sri Lankan businessman on several occasions during 2014 and 2015.The CIABOC said that the arrest followed an investigation based on a statement from the Sri Lankan businessman, statements provided to the commission by officials of France-based Airbus, and documents and other information gathered during the probe.In court, the CIABOC presented key evidence, including an affidavit and a statement from Australian-based businessman Nimal Perera. According to Perera’s statement, Airbus sent funds to the account of Sabre Vision, a Singapore-based company, which were then distributed to three accounts: those of Kapila Chandrasena, Shamindra Rajapaksa, and Nimal Perera.&nbsp;Perera, according to the CIABOC, stated that he received $ 800,000 in two tranches of $ 400,000 each and subsequently handed over this money to Namal Rajapaksa in Sri Lankan Rupees.&nbsp;The CIABOC also informed the court that Airbus representatives had already cooperated with the investigation by providing emails and bank details, and that their officials were prepared to travel to Sri Lanka to testify during the trial.Rajapaksa’s lawyers strongly contested the allegations and requested bail, arguing that there was no solid proof of the bribe other than Perera’s statement.&nbsp;The defence argued that Perera was an unreliable witness, pointing out that he had previously changed his statements during the Krrish court case, as noted by the commission itself.&nbsp; They urged the court to treat the witness’s lack of credibility as a ‘special circumstance’ warranting bail.&nbsp;Rajapaksa’s lawyers did not present any health condition as a reason for seeking bail.The prosecution countered by submitting a certificate under Section 149 of the Bribery Act, which restricts the court from granting bail unless highly exceptional special circumstances are proven.&nbsp;The Magistrate rejected the defence’s application, ruling that the credibility of a witness could not be considered a special circumstance for bail at this stage, and noting that the witness’s trustworthiness was a matter to be determined during the trial in the High Court when he is summoned to give evidence. Rajapaksa’s bail was accordingly denied and he was remanded until 18 September.Section 149 of Sri Lanka’s Anti-Corruption Act No.9 of 2023 governs bail and pre-trial detention for major corruption offences. Under the provision, individuals accused of soliciting or offering bribes above Rs. 100,000 or of causing Government losses or gaining advantages exceeding Rs. 500,000 face restrictions under which bail may be granted only in exceptional circumstances by the High Court.The case forms part of a wider CIABOC investigation into the SriLankan Airlines-Airbus aircraft deal.&nbsp;The commission earlier told court that funds allegedly received as bribes had been distributed by former CEO of SriLankan Airlines Kapila Chandrasena to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Minister of Civil Aviation Piyankara Jayaratne, with part of the funds also allegedly transferred to an account belonging to Shamindra Rajapaksa, a former member of the SriLankan Airlines Board of Directors.&nbsp;Chandrasena, who died on 8 May, had earlier told investigators that he had handed over Rs. 60 million to former President Rajapaksa in three instalments in 2015, a statement that formed the basis for summoning the former President, who appeared before the CIABOC on 12 May.The broader probe concerns allegations that Airbus used intermediaries to secure long-term aircraft purchase and leasing contracts with SriLankan Airlines between 2011 and 2015, though the manufacturer is alleged to have ultimately paid only a fraction of the sums agreed upon.Friday’s arrest is the fourth time Namal Rajapaksa has faced arrest in connection with financial and protest-related investigations since 2016, including the 2016 Krrish Transworks case, over which he was later indicted, and the HelloCorp/Gowers Corporate Services money laundering case, in which he was acquitted by the Colombo High Court in November 2023.

Anti-corruption: Namal remanded over alleged Airbus-linked bribe 

<ul><li>Court direction needed to seek foreign assistance, says Chair</li></ul>&nbsp;&nbsp;With recommendations from the Office of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) urging Sri Lanka to seek international forensic and technical assistance for ongoing mass grave exhumations, the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) has said that it is considering seeking such external support.&nbsp;When contacted by The Sunday Morning, OMP Chairman Mahesh Katulanda said that although it was being considered, no dialogue or concrete steps towards involving foreign technical experts had been made at this stage. According to him, the process remains strictly limited under judicial directions.“We are only sampling now,” he said. Katulanda said that all exhumed materials were currently being processed locally through the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court.Addressing the UN recommendation specifically regarding the adoption of international frameworks such as the Minnesota Protocol, he also said that, despite the consideration, there were no discussions in motion to consult external experts from countries with advanced forensic infrastructure at present.The Chairman further noted that specialised testing was generally conducted in foreign jurisdictions, referencing facilities in Switzerland, Japan, or US states like Florida and Texas. Katulanda emphasised that the OMP could not proactively seek or initiate foreign assistance without explicit instructions from the Judiciary.“Everything has to be followed step by step. We are awaiting the court’s directions,” he stated.In its latest assessment on the situation of human rights in Sri Lanka, the UN Human Rights Office states that exhumations at the Chemmani-Siththupaththi mass grave site in Jaffna have yielded skeletal remains corresponding to more than 400 individuals (including children) as of late July.Following a seven-month hiatus due to seasonal rains and funding constraints, the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court ordered the resumption of digging at the Chemmani site in April, permitting diplomatic observers to monitor proceedings.&nbsp;The report reads: “While welcome, the office urges the Government to build on this progress by seeking international forensic and technical support to ensure exhumations meet international standards, including the Minnesota Protocol, and that they are accompanied by impartial criminal investigations, including into possible command responsibility.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chemmani: OMP eyes int’l expertise? 

<ul><li>Special audit reveals Rs. 9.8 b expenditure on MPs</li><li>Recurrent costs more than double from 2015 to 2024</li><li>Nearly Rs. 900 m spent on food, uniforms in 5 years</li><li>1,800 lunches prepared on Parliament sitting days&nbsp;</li></ul> Nearly Rs. 28 billion was spent on recurrent and capital expenditure for the operations of Sri Lanka’s Eighth and Ninth Parliaments between 2015 and 2024, with expenditure attributed to Members of Parliament (MPs) alone amounting to nearly Rs. 9.8 billion, a special audit has revealed.&nbsp;According to the special audit report, seen by The Sunday Morning, recurrent expenditure under the expenditure head of Parliament during the 10-year period amounted to approximately Rs. 26.19 billion, while another Rs. 1.80 billion was incurred as capital expenditure.&nbsp;The audit has placed particular focus on expenditure incurred under Parliament’s three main projects – the Office of the Speaker, parliamentary staff, and MPs.&nbsp;Of the approximately Rs. 28 billion spent under these projects between 2015 and 2024, the largest share – Rs. 16.52 billion – was attributed to parliamentary staff, while Rs. 9.77 billion was spent under the project covering MPs. Another Rs. 1.69 billion was spent under the Office of the Speaker.&nbsp;The figures also show a sharp escalation in the annual cost of running Parliament, with recurrent expenditure more than doubling over the decade. Annual recurrent expenditure increased from Rs. 1.67 billion in 2015 to Rs. 3.46 billion in 2024, representing an increase of approximately 107%.&nbsp;The highest recurrent expenditure was recorded in 2023, when it reached Rs. 3.57 billion, compared with Rs. 3.20 billion in 2022 and Rs. 2.71 billion in 2021.&nbsp;Expenditure attributed specifically to MPs also increased considerably during the period. The MPs’ project cost approximately Rs. 460.48 million in 2015, before increasing to Rs. 545.04 million in 2016 and Rs. 926.70 million in 2017.&nbsp;It subsequently stood at Rs. 960.4 million in 2018 and crossed the Rs. 1 billion mark in 2019, reaching Rs. 1.02 billion. After declining to Rs. 769.30 million in 2020, expenditure rose again to Rs. 1.05 billion in 2021, Rs. 1.29 billion in 2022, and a decade-high Rs. 1.46 billion in 2023. In 2024, expenditure under the MPs’ project stood at approximately Rs. 1.29 billion.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the special audit has revealed that Rs. 894 million was spent on food and uniforms between 2020 and 2024 under the three parliamentary projects. Such expenditure increased from Rs. 95.74 million in 2020 to Rs. 111.86 million in 2021 and nearly doubled to Rs. 193.71 million in 2022. It climbed further to Rs. 254.61 million in 2023, before declining slightly to Rs. 238.09 million in 2024.&nbsp;Of the five-year total, approximately Rs. 873.70 million was recorded under the parliamentary staff project, Rs. 10.72 million under the Office of the Speaker, and Rs. 9.59 million under the MPs’ project.The audit has also highlighted the scale of Parliament’s catering operation, noting that lunch is generally prepared for around 1,200 people on non-sitting days and 1,800 people on days when Parliament is in session. Four cafeterias operate within the parliamentary complex – separately catering to general staff, executive staff, MPs, and guests of MPs.&nbsp;The report further states that 234 staff members were deployed for catering and housekeeping work as of 31 December 2025.It has also raised an accounting issue concerning expenditure on food, beverages, and uniforms, noting that no separate allocations had been made for these categories under the three projects in 2020, 2021, and 2022.&nbsp;According to the audit, allocations specifically for food and beverages could be identified only from 2024 onwards. Capital expenditure during the decade amounted to approximately Rs. 1.80 billion, fluctuating from Rs. 58.79 million in 2015 to a high of Rs. 397.74 million in 2017. It subsequently declined significantly, falling to Rs. 48.57 million in 2022 and Rs. 42.10 million in 2023, before increasing to Rs. 117.85 million in 2024.The audit findings offer a consolidated account of the public funds spent on operating the Eighth and Ninth Parliaments over the decade, including a period in which Sri Lanka underwent its worst economic crisis since independence and subsequently embarked on a stringent fiscal consolidation programme.

UNP marks 80 years since its founding

Premalal Jayasekara left Sri Lanka before travel ban, CID reveals

Premalal Jayasekara left Sri ...

41 arrested after drug raid at Teldeniya party

41 arrested after drug raid at ...

A’pura rally to go ahead despite Namal’s arrest

A’pura rally to go ahead despi ...

Fairly heavy rainfall expected in several areas

Fairly heavy rainfall expected ...

UN sounds alarm over stalling reform drive

UN sounds alarm over stalling ...

Anti-corruption: Namal remanded over alleged Airbus-linked bribe

Anti-corruption: Namal remande ...

Chemmani: OMP eyes int’l expertise?

Chemmani: OMP eyes int’l exper ...

8th and 9th P’ments: Taxpayers foot Rs. 28 b bill

8th and 9th P’ments: Taxpayer ...

Premalal Jayasekara left Sri Lanka before travel ban, CID reveals

Premalal Jayasekara left Sri ...

41 arrested after drug raid at Teldeniya party

41 arrested after drug raid at ...

A’pura rally to go ahead despite Namal’s arrest

A’pura rally to go ahead despi ...

Fairly heavy rainfall expected in several areas

Fairly heavy rainfall expected ...

UN sounds alarm over stalling reform drive

UN sounds alarm over stalling ...

Anti-corruption: Namal remanded over alleged Airbus-linked bribe

Anti-corruption: Namal remande ...

Chemmani: OMP eyes int’l expertise?

Chemmani: OMP eyes int’l exper ...

8th and 9th P’ments: Taxpayers foot Rs. 28 b bill

8th and 9th P’ments: Taxpayer ...

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Premalal Jayasekara left Sri Lanka before travel ban, CID reveals

Premalal Jayasekara left Sri ...

41 arrested after drug raid at Teldeniya party

41 arrested after drug raid at ...

Bringing the news paper to your fingertips

A’pura rally to go ahead despite Namal’s arrest

A’pura rally to go ahead despi ...

Fairly heavy rainfall expected in several areas

Fairly heavy rainfall expected ...

UN sounds alarm over stalling reform drive

UN sounds alarm over stalling ...

Anti-corruption: Namal remanded over alleged Airbus-linked bribe

Anti-corruption: Namal remande ...