Columns

Two different Magistrates’ Courts have frozen funds belonging to the Sirilak Saviya Foundation and the Pushpa Rajapaksa Foundation. The Sirilak Saviya Foundation is headed by Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Pushpa Rajapaksa Foundation is headed by Pushpa, the wife of former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

The newly set up Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) is to record statements from both Shiranthi Rajapaksa and Pushpa Rajapaksa. An FCID officer said that while the former President’s wife would be informed to report to the FCID office, the whereabouts of Pushpa Rajapaksa were now being traced. The officer said she had left Sri Lanka with her husband on January 11, two days after the Presidential election results were announced. They had left on a flight from Colombo to Dubai. “We are trying to ascertain her whereabouts thereafter,” the official said.

Early this week, the Maligakanda Magistrate issued an order freezing the funds belonging to Srilak Saviya Foundation. The amount remaining in the account was Rs. 43.8 million. The Colombo Fort Magistrate also early this week froze funds belonging to Pushpa Rajapaksa Foundation. The balance in that account at the time of freezing was Rs 4.3 million.

The FCID officer said persons who reportedly made contributions to these two foundations would be questioned. “The idea is to ascertain why such donations were made,” the official added. He also said checks were being carried out to determine whether these foundations were registered with the NGO Secretariat.

The recipient of a folder with the Deed on the right side. On the left are messages from former President Rajapaksa and then Lands Minister Janaka Bandara Tennekoon. Photo:Uthayan, Jaffna.

New leaders hand over Jaffna lands — with
ex-president’s messageThe handing over of lands occupied by the military to civilians who held it in the northern Jaffna peninsula appears to be a joint effort though not officially declared that way. Originally it was the previous Government of Mahinda Rajapaksa that had decided to release the lands. The then Economic Development Minister, Basil Rajapaksa, had identified the extent of the land and the deeds were prepared.

Interesting enough such deeds were signed on January 6 last year, just two days before the Presidential election. A folder containing the deed on the one side and messages from the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the then Lands Minister Janaka Bandara Tennekoon on the other was readied for release.
This was not carried out after those in the Government pointed out to then President Rajapaksa that it could be construed as an election offence. Thus, those deeds came to be registered at the Jaffna Kachcheri only on January 11, this year.

So the threesome running the country – President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga – participated in a ceremony last Monday. There, they only handed over the lands to those who possessed the deed – with the messages of both former President Rajapaksa and former minister Tennekoon. The total extent handed over was 425 acres.

WHO hangs itself on Sri Lanka’s  suicide rates
The suicide rate for 2012 in Sri Lanka was 26 per cent lower than the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates – meaning that the number of people who committed suicide were 2,644 less than the WHO figures. This puts Sri Lanka much lower (22nd) in the global league table for suicide.
These are the findings of Duleeka W. Knipe, a researcher in the School of Social and Community Medicine at the University of Bristol, UK.
She studied suicide data from the police statistics division in Sri Lanka as part of her PhD.

Duleeka said: “Reductions in the suicide rate in Sri Lanka have closely followed the banning of the most toxic pesticides. The estimates in the WHO report were out of date, giving the false impression that the reductions in the Sri Lankan suicide rate did not happen, and that banning pesticides is an ineffective way of reducing suicide deaths.”

She added: “This could result in other countries with a significant pesticide related suicide death rate concluding that banning the most toxic pesticides has little impact. However, while our research shows evidence of a reduction in the number of deaths by suicide, there is evidence that there are still considerable numbers of individuals engaging in acts of self-harm. So whilst Sri Lanka has succeeded in saving lives, there is still a public health issue related to mental health.”

Lawyers battle over floating armoury: AG’s ruling sought
It was a meeting of the Anti-Corruption Sub Committee of the National Executive Council this week. Two legal eagles of the state fought it out, like in open court, over legal positions with regard to the ongoing investigation into the floating armoury case. The senior among the duo countered claims by the next in command that there were grounds for the arrest of Yapa Nissanka Senadipathi and four others. “There is no evidence to do so,” he argued.

The number two had declared that in his thirty-year career, this was the toughest case. He said those involved could be charged under three different statutes — the Prevention of Terrorism Act, the Firearms Ordinance and the Explosives Ordinance.  Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera who was present at the meeting intervened to say, “don’t do anything under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.” He felt that the UNP, by doing so, would give credence to claims that it was in favour of the PTA – a move that could hinder its reconciliation efforts.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who chaired the meeting came up with a proposal to resolve the dispute of the legal eagles. He said they should put down in writing their legal positions and obtain the views of their boss – the Attorney General. So the Anti-Corruption Sub Committee now awaits the Attorney General’s ruling to proceed. Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Maldives, the former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim has been sentenced to 11 years in jail for holding unauthorised weapons. A court decision came after an investigation team visited Colombo to conduct investigations into how the weapons could have been procured.

Probe on leading financial institutions
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is to appoint another committee – this time to probe the country’s financial institutions. This will include the Central Bank, the Chartered Institute of Accountants and local banks.

The idea, an official in the Prime Minister’s Office said, was to determine whether they “have done their duty” expected of them. He said that several public institutions, including places like the Stock Exchange ought to have been monitored by these institutions. In the case of private audit firms, they are alleged to have given their certificate that questionable accounts have been properly audited.

What to do with Mattala airport and Magampura port?
The Cabinet of Ministers has decided to appoint a committee to make recommendations on how to put to best use the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport and the Magampura Port, both in the Hambantota District.

The decision came on a recommendation made by Shipping Minister Arjuna Ranatunga.  The committee is to be asked to recommend ways and means of cutting down the severe losses that are now being incurred to maintain these costly ventures.