Namal Rajapaksa Summoned By FCID
August 10, 2015Former UPFA MP Namal Rajapaksa said that he has been summoned by the police Financial Crimes Investigations Division on August 12.
In a Twitter post published a short while ago, Rajapaksa said that it was another attempt to disrupt his campaign.
"In the end, all these election tactics won't work" he also said.
Rajapaksa is contesting the forthcoming general election from Hambantota District. The campaigning ends on August 14.
Rajapaksa Comments On Alleged Links With LTTE
August 09, 2015Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa spoke about his alleged links with the LTTE and refuted the claims that he had paid money to the now defunct terrorist organization.
Taking part in a special press conference in Colombo, the former President asked if he would have destroyed the LTTE in three years, if he had a friendship with the organization in 2005.
He said that LTTE destroyed all leaders who wanted to get closer to the organization.
Rajapaksa added that there is no secret about those who gave weapons and money to the LTTE in the past.
MR Confirms Thajudeen 'Killing"
August 09, 2015Three years after Wassim Thajudeen's death, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa confirmed that the Rugy player's death was a "killing".
Rajapaksa, addressing a press conference at Jaic Hilton Hotel in Colombo this morning, said he would probe the killing of ruggerite Wassim Thajudeen if his party was elected to office at the general election.
"There should be an investigation. I am not disputing that, But this is a serious allegation - a murder. When we go through the reports we can see what has happened.The police should conduct a fair inquiry. In a future government under our leadership, we too will conduct an investigation," the former president said.
However, he raised suspicions over the timeline of the investigations. He said the new government started investigations into the murder just a few weeks ahead of the election.
Moreover, when contacted by Asian Mirror, a senior officer of the Police Department said fresh investigations into Thajudeen's death started in February.
He said the Criminal Investigations Department carried out inquiries for nearly four months and investigated into every aspect of the case.
Wasim Thajudeen died in 2012 in what was described as an accident. However, the CID recently told the Colombo Fort Magistrate that the death is no accident. Considering a request by the CID, the Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris gave permission recently to exhume Thajudeen's remains. The exhumation is scheduled for tomorrow.
Several political leaders have accused the Rajapaksa family of being involved in the alleged murder of Thajudeen. However, speaking to the BBC Sandeshaya recently, Namal Rajapaksa, elder son of Mahinda Rajapaksa, refuted these allegations. "We were family friends" Rajapaksa said.
Maithripala Sirisena Is Not Wickremesinghe's Executive President, Claims Alahapperuma
August 08, 2015'I Sacrificed Prime Ministerial Post Entitled To Me': Nimal Siripala De Silva [VIDEO]
August 08, 2015JVP Slams 'Main' Parties For Lack Of Policy Discussion
August 07, 2015Three Arrested For Threatening Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon
August 06, 2015Three individuals were arrested by Dambulla Police yesterday on allegedly threatening Central Province Minister Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon at the police station a few days ago.
The incident had allegedly taken place when Tennakoon arrived at the Dambulla Police Station to complain about damaging election cut-outs near former minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon's house. Three supporters of Deputy Minister Ranjith Aluvihare verbally assaulted him inside the police station and threatened him with death, Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon complained to the police.
The suspects were arrested last night after evading arrest for a few days. They will be produced before the Dambulla Magistrate today.
Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon is the son of former Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon.
A group of Sri Lanka Freedom Party ministers have made a written request from President Maithripala Sirisena to take a decision on resigning from their ministerial portfolios.
Former UPFA MP Thilanga Sumathipala disclosed this a short while ago at a press conference at SLFP headquarters at Darley Road, Colombo.
In their letter, the SLFP ministers have pointed out that the reputation of the party is at stake if ministers started resigning individually. The party Central Committee should take a collective decision on the matter, the letter also mentioned.
The ministers have also pointed out that their objective is not to form a coalition government or a national government. Their intention is to form a Sri Lanka Freedom Party government, the ministers have said.
Good relations with India will be a cornerstone of the foreign policy of the Sri Lankan government if the United Peoples' Freedom Alliance (UPFA) forms one after winning the August 17 parliamentary elections.
This was stated by Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka, the foreign policy adviser to the UPFA at a meeting with the Foreign Correspondents' Association here on Wednesday.
The UPFA ,whose candidate in the January 8 Presidential election, Mahinda Rajapaksa, was defeated by the Joint Opposition Candidate, Maithripala Sirisena, has "learnt its lessons", Jayatilleka said.
"The foreign policy of the UPFA will be a series of concentric circles, the closest circle being the immediate neighborhood. Specific mention has been made about India in the foreign policy segment of the UPFA manifesto. Good relations with India is axiomatic. Good relations with India will be a corner stone of the UPFA's foreign policy," he stressed.
On relations with other countries, he said: "The first circle in the series of concentric circles will be South Asia; the second will be Asia; the third will be Euro-Asia, the fourth will be the Global South and finally the world."
Asked about concerns in India and the US about China's overwhelming presence in the economy of Sri Lanka thanks to the Rajapaksa regime, Jayatilleka said that Sri Lanka will cultivate relations with China, India and other countries depending upon the economic need.
(The New Indian Express)
