Govt. gets the blame

In a joint statement they said, "On July 15 we commemorate the second anniversary of the merciless attack on journalists legitimately covering an opposition protest demonstration by the police specially members of the Presidential Security Division (PSD). The attack led to the hospitalisation of journalists and extensive damage being caused to their professional equipment. It was one of the ugliest incidents relating to the oppression of press freedom in recent times.

It said there was ample photographic and eyewitness evidence to indict those responsible for the savage attack. But the government said the attackers could not be identified while justifying the attack.

The statement said complaints made on July 15, 1999 to Cinnamon Gardens and Kompanna Veediya police stations had been shelved.The Assistant Superintendent of Police and several other police officers who handled the probe had been transferred to delay the inquiry.

The CID's lethargic attitude in pursuing the case in which a suspect was arrested on October 29, 1999 who was allegedly in possession of the cellular phone of Lakbima journalist Buddhika Weerasinghe and lost during the July 15 attack was a matter of grave concern, the statement said. It also said Colombo Magistrate V. T. Kulatilaka and Attanagalla Magistrate A. A. Champani Janaki Rajaratna had made adverse comments on the police and the Attorney General for their delay in filing the case. 

The statement said justice had been denied to the journalists who were victims of an orchestrated move to suppress the cases by the law enforcement agencies. The fundamental rights petition filed by the photographers had not been taken up yet two years after the case was filed. 

Calling the attack on journalists as a premeditated one, the statement said the attackers had moved in ahead of the demonstration with the express purpose of assaulting them. It charged the camera equipment had been damaged to destroy any evidence of the presence of PSD members. 

The statement also drew the attention of the government to the killing of Thinamurusu editor Ramesh, Satana editor Rohana Kumara and Jaffna-based journalist Nimalarajan during the past two years. It said no attempt had been made to probe physical and psychological attacks on journalists.

It appealed to the authorities to allow journalists to practise their profession without fear, intimidation and obstruction."

- The Editors Guild of Sri Lanka, the Free Media Movement, the Photojournalists Association of Sri Lanka, Upali Newspapers Ltd., Leader Publications (Pvt) Ltd., Sumathi Newspapers Ceylon Ltd., Express Newspapers Ceylon Ltd., and Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.

SLAirlines cutting down 

No one seems to be aware as to what will happen to them on their arrival in Colombo. Sources further said that as a cost cutting measure the airline is planning to stop flights to Sydney Doha, Stockholm and Beirut in September. 

The airline flies to Sydney twice a week most often with about 30 passengers on board.

A statement from the airline said "all of our routes are constantly under review in terms of their profitability. Like many international airlines we are facing considerable difficulties in a number of markets we serve". 

Police inspector guilty of harassing woman

By Laila Nasry

The Bench presided by Justice S.W.B. Wadugodapitiya, together with Justices D. P.S. Gunesekera and C.V.Wigneswaran in a strongly worded order held that the action of the police inspector "constituted a clear example of the serious harassment meted out to the petitioner."

The petitioner, Layangani Mangalika Kolugala, a housewife was arrested on March 13, 2000 by Inspector J.T. Somaratne of the Moratuwa Police on the grounds that women cannot transport liquor and are liable to be locked up in a cell . 

She had been stopped at a checkpoint 75 yards away from the wine shop, while transporting 51 bottles of arrack and two bottles of brandy from a wine shop in Katubedda to her husband's Chinese restaurant in Attidiya. 

A valid permit with all details and signed by the cashier of the wine shop had been disregarded by the inspector and she had been taken into custody together with the vehicle and the consignment of liquor valued at Rs. 11,850. 

At the station she had been made to sign a statement which was neither shown nor read out to her, if she wanted to leave the station. 

Charges had been filed in the Moratuwa Magistrate's Court by the OIC, Moratuwa Police and Mrs. Kolugala was told she would be freed once she appears before the magistrate the following day. 

The magistrate had ordered her to pay cash bail of Rs. 10,000 and a surety sum of Rs. 100,000. The vehicle had been released on March 23, 2000. 

Since then the case has come up on five occasions but had still to be taken up for trial as the prosecution witnesses did not appear in court.

State Counsel conceded the arrest was unlawful as it was done without any legal authority under a long defunct gazette notice of 1951 based on the Excise Ordinance of 1947. 

Power cuts to go or not?

By Shelani de Silva

'The overall storage capacity in the hydropower reservoirs has risen to a near 30% largely due to the rainfall received. We have been able to save about two million units per day by imposing the power cuts while we will be commissioning new power plants by November' he said.

However with the CEB saddled with a rupees six billion overdraft the power cuts may be continued. 

The total capacity of water in the hydro power reservoirs, before the power cuts were imposed on July 1 had been 20.5 %.

Change of peak hour on census day

By Chris Kamalendran

He said only a few buses and trains would operate after 4 p.m but instructions had been given to bus depots to run the services at maximum strength between noon and 4. p.m.

A Railway official said all scheduled evening office train departure times from the Fort railway station would be advanced by four hours.

"For instance, a train which usually leaves around 5 p.m. will leave around 1 p.m. on Tuesday," he said. But this change would not apply to long-distance trains.

Meanwhile, Census Chief A.G.W. Nanayakkara told The Sunday Times that all arrangements had been finalised for the final count and appealed to public to extend their fullest corporation to successfully complete the task.

A CEB official said that to facilitate the census, there would be no power cuts on Tuesday.

Killing of students sparks clashes in Kalmunai town

Reports said the trouble began when a policeman was shot on Friday allegedly by a member of the LTTE pistol gang.

During a subsequent search there was a shootout and the two students were killed, police said.

They said sections of the crowd at yesterday's demonstrations had got unruly and police were forced to fire in the air.

SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem in a statement condemned the shooting by the police at Santhankerni grounds and said he regretfully noted a change in the attitude of certain police officers in the area in recent weeks.

He said tension had been mounting after the politically motivated transfer of some other police officers.

ECG bypass raises concern

By Tania Fernando

According to the usual procedure the Bio Medical Engineering Services (BMES), an institution under the Health Ministry, has to be consulted before such equipment is purchased and tenders called for, but in this instance, the division has not been consulted, The Sunday Times learns.

Health Ministry Secretary Tilak Ranaviraja said when they were in need of certain items they short-listed certain companies and called for quotations.

He said after the quotations were given they were put to the technical evaluation committee, which would decide on the company from which the 175 ECG recorders would be bought.

He assured there was no corruption and explained such a method was adopted only when the purchase was urgent.

Right of reply

"Therefore the headline given to the news item in your newspaper on July 8, 2001 and the contents of the first paragraph give a wrong impression to the reader in view of certain words used.

He says the correct position should be that the AG has given a disclaimer of opinion on SDA accounts and that he is unable to express an audit opinion on the accounts.

Reporters note: The AG in his report on the SDA has stated that "I am unable to express an opinion on the accounts presented' which is not too different from the news report which said that he was unable to comment on it.

Phone case: suspect pleads guilty

By Laila Nasry

The suspect, Janaka Tillerkeratne, told court he came to possess the phone after he found it under the seat of a bus he owned.

Lakbima photojournalist Buddhika Weerasinghe in his complaint to the Cinnamon Gardens police said his cellular phone was grabbed by unknown persons when members of the Presidential Security Division attacked photojournalists during a UNP protest rally on July 15, 1999.

Magistrate Champa Janaki Rajaratne ordered the suspect to be finger-printed and fixed the case for July 27. 

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