Breakthrough

A team of 60 strong detectives who probed the attacks have identified the masterminds behind the attacks. 

Two groups communicated with each other via cellular phones whilst two more groups talked to each other through encrypted radio sets.

DIG (CID) Punya de Silva has updated President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, on the latest findings of the ongoing investigation.

As a consequence of the investigation, one high ranking official of the Sri Lanka Air Force is to be indicted in courts together with others, for criminal negligence, President Kumaratunga has been told. 

The same official has been held accountable for a string of lapses by a Court of Inquiry and now faces expulsion without pension.

Recommendations on the Court of Inquiry report were to have reached the Ministry of Defence this week but has been delayed. It is expected to go this week, insiders say.

No more beef

Navy Chief Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri, has noted that consumption in the Navy was in any case low and therefore doing away with it will not cause any problems.

The consumption of beef in the Army was banned when General Rohan de S. Daluwatte was the Commander of the Army.

Hit or shoes?

But, this is the case of a top runger who kept shouting "Adidas, Adidas… puzzling many in the zinc roofed mess hall in a battle area. It took a while for others to decipher the new exhortation. It was a request from a subordinate officer to purchase a pair of Adidas for his sibling. The young man obliged.

Uniformed wheeler-dealer

It turned out that he took time off to meet a local arms dealer. One of the latter's principals had arrived in Colombo to push a deal through.

The deal had wanted his friend in uniform to meet those who matter – the men who cough out the fat commissions.

Rajpal Abeynayake's Column

Editorial/ Opinion Contents