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First aid for
pilgrims UNP
parley in Trincomalee He told a party
meeting in Trincomalee yesterday that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
had decided to hold the annual convention in Trincomalee where three
communities lived harmoniously. Party activists and organisers in Trincomalee district and ministers Johnston Fernando, Gamini Lokuge, Gamini Jayawaickrema Perera, P. Dayaratna and Rohitha Bogollagama participated at yesterday's meeting.
Moratu Saman
escapes death Moratu Saman
who was travelling in a maroon Nissan Bluebird car bearing registration
No. WP GN-5176 with two friends had stopped at Talahena around 9
p.m. to buy some food, when persons who arrived in another car had
opened fire at him, police said. They were on their way to meet
a friend at the Parliament Grounds. Police investigations
revealed that the assailants had come in a car and parked their
vehicle behind Saman's car. In a typical Chicago style, the front
and the rear doors opened simultaneously and the gunmen got out
of the car firing at Saman's vehicle with a T-56 rifle and 9mm pistol.
Satisfied that the job was done, they sped off, police said. Saman who was
seated in the passenger seat in front had escaped with minor injuries
because he had got off from the car and ducked. He had then got
into a three wheeler and admitted himself at a hospital. Talangama Crime
Inspector D. M Dharamitipola said the dead man had been identified
as Gihan Mendis, a ticketing agent, from Kalubowila. The other passenger
in the car Sugath Rohana had also sustained injuries and is warded
at the National Hospital under police custody. "About
four bullets had hit Mendis with one going through his neck,"
Inspector Dharamitipola said. Meanwhile, police suspect that the Nissan Bluebird in which Saman was travelling in is a stolen vehicle, as the number plates have been tampered with and it had a false doctor's car pass and a revenue license pasted. The Sunday Times
case The letter
stated as grounds the fact that criminal defamation has been abolished
and indictments for criminal defamation had been withdrawn from
the High Court, and also the fact that the virtual complainant was
not interested in pursuing with the matter. Deputy Solicitor
General Mr. Palitha Fernando told court that the letter was currently
under consideration by the Attorney General. Further Mr.
R.I. Obeysekera counsel for the virtual complainant, President Chandrika
Kumaratunga said he had to verify as to whether his client did not
wish to pursue with the case. The case was
mentioned for August 19. The Editor
is currently seeking the granting of Special Leave to Appeal against
the December 5, 2000 order of the Court of Appeal which dismissed
his appeal and upheld the conviction delivered in the High Court.
He further
prays court to set aside the Court of Appeal order, quash the findings
of the High Court which convicted and sentenced him and acquit him
of the charges contained in the indictment filed in the High Court. The Editor
was indicted before the High Court on two counts. The first count
was that he did by publication in The Sunday Times of February 19,
1995 of words that were intended to read "Anura: sootin says
courting days are here". The second
count framed in the alternative to the first was that the above
imputation was published by some person in The Sunday Times and
that person had committed an offence punishable under section 479
of the Penal Code read with Section 15 of the Press Council Law.
Thereby the Editor of the newspaper responsible for publishing the
said imputation, had committed an offence punishable under Section
14 read with Section 15 of the Press Council Law. The High Court
of Colombo convicted the Editor of criminal defamation on both counts.
For the first count a fine of Rs. 7,500 was imposed and in default
of paying the fine a sentence of four months simple imprisonment
was imposed. In addition the petitioner was sentenced to twelve
months simple imprisonment suspended for a period of seven years.
On the second
count a fine of Rs. 2,500 and in the event of default a sentence
of three months simple imprisonment was imposed. In addition the
petitioner was sentenced to six months simple imprisonment suspended
for a period of seven years. The suspended sentences were ordered
to run concurrently. S.L. Gunasekera and Ronald Perera instructed by Asoka Samararatne of Samararatne Associates appeared for the accsused appellant. Deputy Solicitor General Palitha Fernando for the Attorney General, R.I. Obeysekera with A.W. Yusuf for the complainant, President Kumaratunga. |
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