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President Maithripala Sirisena has expressed his displeasure to Police Chief Pujith Jayasundera over the arrest and subsequent remanding of the former Commandant of the Police Special Task Force (STF), K.L.N. Sarathchandra.

Mr. Sarathchandra, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), was arrested and produced before Colombo’s Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya. He was remanded till December 6 for allegedly misusing an STF vehicle. The reported loss to the state over this alleged misuse is said to be Rs. 140,000.
The move follows an inquiry Mr. Jayasundera had ordered the Special Crimes Investigation Unit (SCIU), which comes directly under the Police Chief. This is said to follow a complaint made to him by a senior serving officer of the STF.

Sources close to the Presidency said the President wanted to know why only this retired officer was singled out for arrest and subsequent remand when there were several cases of grave misuse of vehicles in the Police Department. He has also wanted to know whether the incident was motivated by personal reasons.

The same sources said Public Security and Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake had also been unaware of the arrest. He has also sought details on how it came about. Even the Attorney General’s Department had not been informed.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, President Sirisena was critical of investigative agencies including the Police for the slow pace of high profile cases. He noted that smaller cases like the abuse of vehicles were being pursued.

Barber cuts trim picture for President
That barbers are listening posts for public opinion is all too well known. There are many an anecdote, mostly true and some fiction.
President Sirisena told his ministerial colleagues recently that his barber came to his residence to give him a haircut. He had asked him what the people spoke about the Government.

The barber had replied that the public were praising the Government after the price reductions announced in the budget and the slashing of the prices of medicinal drugs. President Sirisena said such situations have not been exploited through the media adequately.

One story, a joke circulated by university students then, spoke of a barber who went to cut whatever remained of the late J.R. Jayewardene’s hair. He persistently asked how the situation was in the north. The reference was to the then ongoing separatist war. Angered by the repeated questions, he was asked why he raised it so many times. The barber replied that his (JR’s) hair stood straight and it was easy to trim.

Rajapaksa says Udayanga ‘honda kolla’
It was an early morning telephone call from former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Harsha de Silva, the then acting Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He wanted to know from Mr. de Silva whether Udayanga Weeratunga, a former Ambassador to Russia under the Rajapaksa administration, had not yet returned the diplomatic passport.

The query was because the acting Foreign Minister had told Parliament that Mr Weeratunga had not yet returned the diplomatic passport though an ordinary passport was issued to him. He was responding to a question raised by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) parliamentarian Nalinda Indatissa.
Mr. Rajapaksa said he wanted to be double sure because former envoy Weeratunga had told him that the DPL passport had been returned. The acting Minister said he would check once more and call the former President.

After speaking to Foreign Ministry officials, Mr de Silva called back Mr. Rajapaksa. He said he was quite sure the DPL passport had not been surrendered.
Mr. Rajapaksa then replied that he would check with Mr Weeratunga once more. Thereafter the former President declared “Okaa honda kolla” or he is a good boy.

Sirisena going to Malaysia
President Maithripala Sirisena will pay a two-day official visit to Malaysia beginning December 14.
The visit is the first by him to Malaysia as President. Trade co-operation between the two countries is expected to figure prominently during his talks with Malaysian leaders.

Only military offices at Akuregoda complex
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Matters (CCEM) has decided not to house offices of any other Government department in the Akuregoda defence complex now nearing completion.
The Committee is chaired by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The CCEM has requested Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka to obtain approval of the President and conduct a survey of all military installations that are housed in different buildings.
The idea is to ensure all such buildings are moved to the Akuregoda complex and utilise the vacant offices for other Government purposes.

Cigarette sales at butt end, but revenue also halved
Proof that the Government’s campaign against tobacco use works emerged this week.
Consumption, without doubt, has hit low levels. It is believed it would become lower when Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne’s campaign to ban the sale of cigarettes other than in packets.

The flip side to the issue is Government revenue. The Government received over Rs. 8 billion for October as revenue from taxes on cigarettes. And for November, the sum has come down by half, a little over Rs. 4 billion.

Thajudeen’s death: Detectives can’t quiz key figures
Investigations into the alleged killing of national ruggerite Wasim Thajudeen have been intensified by detectives but they are up against a serious problem.
Some of the key figures they want to question are now assigned to a top person and the detectives have still not received clearance to question them.
In an interview with the Sunday Times early this month, President Sirisena said that investigations into Thajudeen’s reported killing have been suppressed.

Was it a jailhouse rock?
The talking point in business circles is how one of the more controversial types, often described as a wheeler dealer, had a party in a place where rowing boatmen gather.

Eyebrows were raised only because the guests were mostly from a place where suspects and convicts are gated.
As one witty onlooker asked whether the bash, where liquor flowed like the Beira, was to set the ground for good treatment when he entered the four walls.

Foreign Ministry gets back UN mission
The Government has decided that the two properties purchased for Sri Lanka diplomatic missions should be handed over to the Foreign Ministry.
At present, the Sri Lanka’s office of the Permanent Representative to the United Nations comes under the purview of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).
It was purchased with funds released by the then Governor Nivard Cabraal.

The Government has also approved the purchase of a building in Brasilia (Brazil) for the Sri Lanka Embassy there.

Rajapaksa gets courtesy given to MPs
The Foreign Ministry has directed the Sri Lanka Embassy in Beijing, China, to accord the courtesies extended to an MP to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Mr. Rajapaksa is now on a visit to China together with former External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris, (now leader of the Sri Lanka Podujana Party – SLPP) and Lohan Ratwatte MP.China’s Ambassador XI Xiangling has told Government dignitaries that the invitation to Mr. Rajapaksa had been extended by a Chinese NGO. He has claimed it was the practice of this NGO to invite former leaders of foreign countries.