<ul><li>Complaint lodged by civil society org. against Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Bimal Rathnayake, Wasantha Samarasinghe, Kumara Jayakody, Sunil Handunnetti, Sunil Watagala</li><li>Probe sought under Money Laundering Law</li></ul> The Citizens Power against Bribery, Corruption, and Waste organisation has lodged a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), seeking an investigation into the assets of six Cabinet and Deputy Ministers in the current National People’s Power (NPP) Government.Speaking to The Daily Morning, President of the organisation Kamantha Thushara said that he had lodged a complaint with the CIABOC, requesting an investigation into the assets of six key figures in the current Government under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, No. 5 of 2006.The ministers and deputy ministers against whom investigations have been requested include: Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake, Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe, Minister of Energy engineer Kumara Jayakody, Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti, and Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Attorney Sunil Watagala.Thushara said that the CIABOC had accepted his complaint, adding that he was hopeful that investigations would begin in the same way that the commission had initiated probes against Opposition politicians accused of acquiring assets and properties through illegal means.Attempts to contact the NPP General Secretary and Government MP Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe proved futile.Several parties, including ministers, deputy ministers, and parliamentarians have now submitted their assets and liabilities declarations to the CIABOC.&nbsp;On social media, discussions have surfaced regarding the properties owned by certain Government politicians. However, speaking at the Cabinet of Ministers media briefing, Dr. Jayatissa said on Tuesday (16) that the allegations stemmed from the very declarations submitted by politicians themselves, adding that they would be able to prove the sources of their earnings.

Assets: CIABOC probe urged six Cabinet, Deputy Ministers

<ul><li>Cyber Crimes Division probing complaints received</li></ul> With regard to concerns surrounding the provision of sexual services via online platforms, the Police said that while responding to complaints, they are actively looking into offences committed through the provision of such services.“There have been some complaints over this issue, and the Police Cyber Crimes Division has taken note of it,” Police Media Spokesperson and Assistant Superintendent of Police Attorney F.U. Wootler told The Daily Morning, adding that the Police are taking necessary steps to address any instances of online sexual harassment and sexual or human smuggling that may arise, and that action will be taken in line with the existing laws and regulations.He further said that although having sex in private between&nbsp;those who have reached the legal age of consent&nbsp;is not an offence, if these services constitute an offence under the existing laws, including the Penal Code, legal action will be taken.

Online sex services: Cops ‘proactively’ probe ‘offences’

<ul><li>Seeks tabling or pvt. examination of AG’s Dept. and P’ment Secretariat reports cited by Spkr.&nbsp;</li></ul> The main Opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) stated yesterday (17) that they are awaiting a meeting with the Speaker of the Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne to discuss the basis on which he decided not to accept the no-confidence motion (NCM) against the Deputy Minister of Defence Major General (retd.) Aruna Jayasekera. Speaking to The Daily Morning, Chief Opposition Whip Gayantha Karunathilleka said that they expect these matters to be taken up at the next Parliamentary group meeting during the coming Parliamentary week.&nbsp;“We requested the Speaker to table the reports provided by the Attorney General’s (AG) Department and the Parliamentary Secretariat. If he had made those decisions transparently, there would be no problem in tabling them. But, he didn’t do so,” he said.He further noted that when the issue was raised at the recent party leaders’ meeting in the Parliament, Dr. Wickramaratne assured that Opposition Parliamentarians involved in the NCM would be given an opportunity to discuss it.“That discussion has not yet taken place. We hope that it will be arranged at a later date. If it is not possible to table those reports, we will request the Speaker to at least allow us to examine them,” he added. On 10 September, the Speaker announced in the Parliament that the said NCM could not be accepted in its present form, citing reports from the AG’s Department and the Parliamentary Secretariat as the grounds for his decision. Since then, the Opposition has been demanding that both the said reports be tabled in the House. However, the Speaker has shown no indication that he intends to do so.

NCM rejection: SJB awaits mting. with Speaker

<ul><li>Shortcomings found in exploration licence issuance, inactivity by licensees and related data inaccuracy</li><li>Mannar Island mineral sand exploration not carried out in 195 km2 for 13 yrs. despite 5 cos. with 9 licences&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>No rehab. of land post-mining in case of 3,150 licences&nbsp;</li><li>COPE calls for law reform, new mechanism and strategic plan including clear quartz export solely by Nat. Gem-Jewellery Authority due to GSMB complicity in smuggling</li></ul> Due to the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) not properly charging the State royalty, a large amount of money has been lost to the Government.This was disclosed at the recent meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) which met in the Parliament on 12 September under the Chairpersonship of Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera. It was also disclosed that the bureau had issued a mining licence from December 2023 to September of last year (2024) to a private company for sand removal at the Mukkutoduwawa Estate in the Puttalam District belonging to Chilaw Plantations Limited. However, although the contractor had removed a sand stock ranging from 36,531 to 45,561 cubic metres, the&nbsp; royalty had been paid only for 1,594 cubic metres, amounting to Rs. 686,464. Accordingly, it was pointed out by the committee that a royalty of over Rs. 12 million had been lost.&nbsp; Discussions were also held on the calculation of royalty for stone quarries based on the explosives issued for the quarry. It was pointed out by the committee that due to the use of explosives in an illegal manner, the actual volume of rock removed could not be calculated, resulting in a large loss of revenue to the Government. Even though massive rock excavation takes place in stone quarries in different parts of the country, in reality, only a small revenue is received by the Government, as pointed out by the committee. Accordingly, the committee recommended to the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and the officials of the GSMB that a stronger monitoring mechanism should be established beyond the issuance of mining licences, and that urgent steps should be taken to amend the act to overcome existing legal shortcomings. Attention was also drawn to serious shortcomings in the mechanism of issuing Exploration Licences (EL) prior to mining. It was revealed that under the prevailing system, many institutions obtaining ELs, sell them to other persons at higher prices, without actually carrying out exploration or mining activities. Although data is submitted to the bureau after exploration, there is a serious issue regarding the accuracy of such data.&nbsp; Since 1993, the bureau has issued more than 450 ELs, but, currently, only 43 remain active, as revealed. Accordingly, it was pointed out that the current system does not ensure a proper scientific and transparent exploration process, and that the bureau does not have a mechanism to properly monitor the activities after the issuance of ELs. Therefore, instead of ad-hoc solutions, a new mechanism and a strategic plan important for sustainable national development should be prepared, as highlighted. The committee also drew attention to the fact that although nine licences had been issued to five companies registered in Sri Lanka for mineral sand exploration in the Mannar Island, those companies had not carried out exploration for 10-13 years.&nbsp; It was revealed that all five companies are managed by one company registered in Australia. As a result, the licence holders have reserved these areas for long periods without exploration, limiting opportunities for other local and foreign investors who wish to explore minerals. Due to this, an extent of about 195 square kilometres has been blocked, which was pointed out by Dr. Samaraweera as an obstacle to the country’s development. According to the Mines and Minerals Act, mining lands should be rehabilitated after mining. However, attention was drawn to the fact that by 11 August, the bureau had not implemented rehabilitation works for 3,150 licences. It was discussed that although a bond (deposit) is obtained at the time of licence issuance for rehabilitation, miners tend to consider abandoning the deposit more profitable than rehabilitating the land. However, the officials stated that legal action had been taken against licence holders who failed to carry out rehabilitation. Attention was also drawn to the issue of quartz exports. It was discussed that clear quartz is being illegally exported along with quartz, and that certain insiders within the bureau appear to be supporting this smuggling. The committee pointed out that a mechanism should be established to hand over the export of clear quartz to the National Gem and Jewellery Authority and to allow only other quartz to be legally exported. The committee pointed out that throughout its past history, the GSMB has not operated with proper planning according to the legal principles of the act.

Mining: GSMB blamed for large royalty loss

<ul><li>Enhanced 1929 Helpline, integrated case mgt., child-friendly courts with child witness rooms, included</li></ul> The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, with support from the European Union (EU) through the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) yesterday (17) launched an initiative to support children who have experienced violence.The new model service will ensure fast, child-sensitive support to child victims of violence, from the point when the case is reported to the Police, helplines or others, until the child is linked with sustained care and protection mechanisms. The model service, launched in Kandy, includes six flagship initiatives of local and national scale. These improvements include enhancing the 1929 Helpline, introducing integrated case management, enhancing support services for children, improving the efficiency of justice processes, enhancing practices for taking evidence from children, and introducing child-friendly courts with child witness rooms.&nbsp;The model service for child victims of violence introduces a set of changes, including digital innovations. One of the first digital innovations was introduced in the Kandy High Court (HC). New child-friendly court facilities, refurbished in an age-appropriate way and equipped with modern audio-visual technology, enable children to testify from a separate room within the court premises, operationalising the recent amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure (June of this year). This protects a child witness from direct confrontation with the perpetrators, thus minimising trauma. The operationalisation of the model service for child victims of violence is supported by the EU under the Support to Justice Sector Project (JURE).Minister of Justice, attorney Harshana Nanayakkara, speaking on this initiative, said: “This is an important step towards specialising HCs for children.”The EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka Carmen Moreno highlighted the role of the JURE project: “Violence against children remains a serious concern and demands immediate action.”

Child victims: New justice initiative launched

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the Instrument of Ratification on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond the National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) was deposited with the UN on Tuesday (16), with Sri Lanka thereby becoming a State Party to the convention.By ratifying the BBNJ Agreement, Sri Lanka will have the opportunity to benefit from the fair and equitable sharing of resources such as marine genetic resources and digital sequence information from areas beyond the national jurisdiction. The agreement also prioritises capacity building and the transfer of marine technology.&nbsp;Moreover, the agreement will also enable Sri Lanka to work collectively with other nations to protect biodiversity, build climate resilience, and advance Sustainable Development Goals.

Ocean governance: SL becomes State Party to BBNJ Agreement

<ul><li>For not adhering to recommendations on landslides&nbsp;</li></ul> The National Building Research Institute Bill, scheduled to be taken up for its second reading in the Parliament on 23 September was approved by the Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection.&nbsp;This took place at the meeting of the committee held in the Parliament on 11 September under the Chairpersonship of Dr. Najith Indika.Although the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has been functioning since 1984, it has not yet been established by an Act of Parliament. Therefore, the proposed Bill seeks to provide the organisation with legal status in order to properly fulfil the duties, responsibilities, and services entrusted to it. Officials, making submissions before the committee, further stated that in instances where Local Government (LG) institutions fail to adhere to the recommendations issued by the organisation with regard to landslides, once this proposed Bill is passed, it would be possible to take legal action in that respect.

NBRO Bill: Law to permit legal action against LG bodies 

The main Opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) urged the Government to adopt a meaningful approach when reducing the perks granted to politicians by ensuring that the benefit of the saved funds is passed on to the public.SJB Parliamentarian Harshana Rajakaruna stated this during a press briefing held yesterday (17). “Although the ministers of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and the National People’s Power don’t live in official residences, MPs live in official residences. We request ministers to move into official residences. Those official residences have become dilapidated. If ministers don’t use those official residences, they should be utilised in a manner that is useful to the country’s economy.&nbsp;“When former Presidents are removed from their official residences, it saves a certain amount of money for the Government. That money is not adequate for economic development. However, there are over 50 ministerial official residences that have not been used. Did refraining from using them result in any benefit to the country? However, the Government has to spend a lot of money to repair those 50 official residences,” he said, adding that merely not using the said official residences does not benefit the country.Moreover, he opined that although the Government claimed that its MPs do not take their salary, that money being transferred to the party fund does not result in any benefit to the Treasury or the public.

Ministerial benefits: SJB queries fate of official residences 

The Department of Railways is set to recruit between 300 and 400 employees across all categories by the end of this year, General Manager Ravindra Pathmapriya said. Speaking to The Daily Morning, he noted that the department has been proceeding with recruitment as the necessary approvals have been granted by the authorities. “There are vacancies across all categories of employees. We have already conducted the examinations and interviews, and expect to complete the recruitment of about 300-400 employees by the end of this year. We have to move forward as and when the approvals are received.” The move comes amidst criticism of inefficiency within the department by passengers as well as allegations of employee shortages by Railways trade unions. The Deputy Minister of Transport Dr. Prasanna Gunasena recently warned that if improvements are not seen soon, administrative control of the department may be restructured. The department is one of Sri Lanka’s oldest and most relied-upon public institutions, playing an important role in both passenger and freight transport. Despite its long history, the department has struggled in recent years with staff shortages, ageing infrastructure, and delays in modernisation.

Assets: CIABOC probe urged six Cabinet, Deputy Ministers

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Ministerial benefits: SJB quer ...

Railways Dept. to recruit 300-400 by yr. end

Railways Dept. to recruit 300- ...

Online sex services: Cops ‘proactively’ probe ‘offences’

Online sex services: Cops ‘pro ...

NCM rejection: SJB awaits mting. with Speaker

NCM rejection: SJB awaits mtin ...

Mining: GSMB blamed for large royalty loss

Mining: GSMB blamed for large ...

Child victims: New justice initiative launched

Child victims: New justice ini ...

Ocean governance: SL becomes State Party to BBNJ Agreement

Ocean governance: SL becomes S ...

NBRO Bill: Law to permit legal action against LG bodies

NBRO Bill: Law to permit legal ...

Ministerial benefits: SJB queries fate of official residences

Ministerial benefits: SJB quer ...

Railways Dept. to recruit 300-400 by yr. end

Railways Dept. to recruit 300- ...

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