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With much fanfare and glare of publicity the 18-year-old youth was arrested by the Police, and handed over to officials of the Department of Immigration last week. They bundled him into a Male-bound flight. On arrival, Police there arrested the youth and sent him straight to a prison island in the archipelago. His offence, it was claimed, is his involvement in a plot together with former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb to assassinate President Abdulla Yameen.

Or so Maldivian High Commissioner Zahiya Zareer had said. However, a Maldivian Court order, a copy of which is in possession of the Foreign Ministry, says that he was wanted for “issuing death threats” on the social media. High Commissioner Zareer is being summoned to the Foreign Ministry tomorrow to answer questions over this serious contradiction that had misled the Foreign Ministry. The Government wants to express its displeasure.

The arrest of Ahmed Ashraff (also known as Zumba Gong) from a house in Dehiwala by the Boralesgamuwa Police set the serious poser. The Maldivian Government, as is the internationally norm, did not make a formal request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek his arrest and extradition.

The request had gone directly from High Commissioner Zareer in Colombo to the Department of Immigration. She had claimed he was wanted in the assassination plot. Immigration officials, even without consulting the Foreign Ministry, hurriedly went to work.

An Immigration Department spokesman claimed they had the “power” to arrest such persons when the diplomatic mission of a country makes a request. However, he was unable to say under which treaty or arrangement this was carried out when a request had been made directly to the department. Ashraff had held a valid Sri Lankan visa. It had been invalidated by the Immigration officials when he was handed over to the High Commission.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry’s official spokesperson, Mahishini Colonne, admitted at a news conference on Thursday that an internal inquiry was under way since the country’s Immigration laws have been violated. In other words, she is making clear that the expulsion is illegal.

Mr. Ashraff said in a tweet last week that officers of the Boralesgamuwa Police broke open the door of the house he was staying in to take him into custody. Perhaps for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka, a precedent has been set where any diplomatic mission could simply ask that Immigration or Police officials to arrest an individual and then deport them to their home country. No evidence of why it should be done is provided to the proper authority. As one Police official pointed out, even in a small country like the Maldives such a thing would not have happened.

PM can get tips from Bond
It was spectacular Spectre when Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visited not the MI-6 headquarters but Westminster House in Colombo to see the world famous namesake of this Café Spectator columnist Jamis Banda.

At the first Colombo showing on Thursday of the latest James Bond film, Spectre, the Prime Minister is seen beside a life-size poster of the new 007 British actor Daniel Craig, who stars in the 24th bond film after Sean Connery shot the series into fame in 1962 with the box office smash hit Dr. No.

With Craig withdrawing from the Bond series after this movie, a search is on for the next bond, a wit quipped whether PM could step into the picture in his investigative role, not so much for the Central Bank bond issue, but to track down the big-time local political Mafias.

Rajitha to expose UNP’s double agents
Official Government spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne made an interesting disclosure at Thursday’s news briefing.
He said that when he was a minister in the previous Government, during ministerial meetings former President Mahinda Rajapaksa used to receive calls. It came from members in the United National Party (UNP) Working Committee. Rajapaksa switched the call to speaker so all could listen. Such ministers, he said, were still serving in the present Cabinet of Ministers.
“Some are asking for the names. I said I would give it to the Prime Minister now,” said Senaratne.

 PM raises issue over presidential pensions

It was Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who raised issue at the weekly ministerial meeting on the disparities in pension payments to former Presidents.

He said former President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s wife Hema, who is the beneficiary, was receiving Rs. 90,000 as monthly payment whilst former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was getting Rs. 27,000.
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was receiving a higher amount than the two. The PM, however, did not mention the amount but urged that such payments be standardised.

Bread and bungling at Bangkok banquet

The gala dinner in a Bangkok hotel was in honour of President Maithripala Sirisena who was on a four day-visit to Thailand last week. Sri Lankans living in Bangkok, many serving in different jobs, were so anxious to see him that they pocketed out Thai Baht 1,500 (more than Rs. 6,000) for a ticket. Other than that, they were also keen on a local meal, which they believed, was being served. After all, four cooks from a Thai hotel chain which has a resort in Bentota were flown there. A third was the belief that the dance troupe Channa and Upuli was performing.

All three did not materialise. President Sirisena did not turn up. Instead of Sri Lankan cuisine, there was what was dubbed “fusion food” in tiny portions. So most of them emptied the bread basket and guzzled glasses of water. Instead of a dance troupe, they were told to remain silent. The reason – there were a group of drummers beating away as they swallowed more bread.

The talking point among a few, well informed among others, was also why President Sirisena had to meet Princess Siridhorn. That too, the President had to drive to her palace. King Bhumibol Adulyadeg, head of state and head of government, is ailing but the next on line would have been heir apparent Crown Prince Maha Vajiralonkorn. Why did the higher ups in the Foreign Ministry or the Sri Lanka mission in Bangkok find it difficult to line up an engagement? Surely, they could have agreed to suitable dates before a visit was planned. President Sirisena was received on arrival by the Deputy Prime Minister.

Dispute over printing of new biometric passport
At Thursday’s re-scheduled weekly meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, a debate ensued on the printing of new passports.
Minister Sarath Nawinna who is in charge of the subject wanted 1.5 million copies of the new passport printed.

However, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake held the view that initially 500,000 copies would be sufficient. He said the rest could be ordered when stocks began to diminish. The new passport with biometric data is to be issued from March next year.