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Tight security for massive peace rally
Schools to close early, police plan road closures
By Nalaka Nonis
More than 4000 security personnel will be deployed throughout Colombo for the government's peace rally tomorrow and Police have called on principals to close down schools early to prevent schoolchildren being caught up in heavy traffic jams.

DIG Colombo Bodhi Liyanage told The Sunday Times the Police had already requested school authorities to send children home early while airport travellers had been asked to cross the Colombo city limits before 1 p.m. to avoid any delay.

Peace rally organiser Sanjeewa Kawiratne said he was expecting more than half a million people to attend the Janabala Meheyuma, from all parts of the country including the north and east.

"The main purpose of the rally is to drum up public support for the peace process and to establish democracy in the country," he said.

The rally is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. tomorrow from four points in Colombo - Thunmulla Junction, Borella Junction, Orugodawatta and the Sugathadasa Stadium. They will converge at Town Hall at 4 p.m. for a massive rally.

Several religious organisations, non-governmental organisations, and civic rights groups are expected to attend the rally while a spokesman for the Ceylon Workers' Congress claimed that more than 25,000 people from the estate sector would attend it. Police said the following roads would be closed for traffic tomorrow: Reid Avenue, Stanley Wijesundara Mawatha, Rajakeeya Mawatha, Gilbert Crescent, Maitland Crescent, Alfred Crecsent, Pradeepa Mawatha, Siridharma Mawatha, Jayantha Weerasekara Mawatha, Jethawana Mawatha, Sri Saranatissa Mawatha and Panchikawatta Road.

Meanwhile, the Department of Railways has made arrangements to provide sixteen additional trains to facilitate the arrival of participants to Colombo.

Ratwatte CDs: Bribery Com. report on Sept. 18
By Tania Fernando
The Colombo Magistrate has asked the Bribery and Corruption Commission to submit an interim report by September 18 on its probe on the Anuruddha Ratwatte CDs, while the CID has been asked to keep the bank vaults sealed till that date.

The court told the Bribery Commission that if it wished to retain the certificates of deposits to help with its probe, it should submit an application to the court when the case was taken up next on September 18.

When the case was taken up this week, the CID told court that it had serious doubts about the CDs, counsel for former PA strongman Ratwatte argued that his client was not bound to disclose how he got the CDs and that the Court had no jurisdiction to hand over the investigations to any other department.

The counsel said that the CID could hand over the investigations to the Bribery Commission without obtaining an order from the Court.

However, the magistrate observed that the owner had to disclose his assets under Section 23A of the Bribery Commission Act.

In a letter addressed to the Bribery Commission on September 4, the CID asked the Commission to probe how the former minister acquired CDs worth more than Rs. 43 million.

The Colombo Magistrate also observed that the search warrant issued to the CID by the court was legal and therefore the CID was carrying out its duties in a legal manner, although Mr. Ratwatte claimed otherwise.

The CDs were found in Mr. Ratwatte's vaults in a private bank on August 28 after the CID carried out a search on suspicion that arms and heroin had been hidden there.

Subsequent inquiries have revealed that although Mr. Ratwatte is required to declare his assets to the Speaker as a Member of Parliament, he has failed to include the CDs in his declaration.

Former Premier to be quizzed on rubber loans
Detectives probing the alleged multi-million rupee fraud at the Rubber Corporation are to question former Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake's and former secretaries to the Ministry of Plantations.

CID detectives told The Sunday Times that Mr. Wickremanayake statement was necessary for the probe as he was in charge of the Plantations Industry Ministry.

The CID took the decision to interview the former Premier after it recorded a statement from former Treasury Secretary P. B. Jayasundera, who now serves as chairman of the Public Enterprises Reforms Commission.

According to Dr. Jayasundera's statement, the detectives said, the former Prime Minister had sent a note, requesting him to expedite the release of funds.

The Treasury is said to have passed more than Rs. 900 million to the ailing rubber corporation. The CID is probing allegations that payments amounting to more than Rs. 540 million had been irregular.

Dr. Jayasundera told the CID that President Chandrika Kumaratunga had submitted two cabinet papers seeking approval for the release of funds in the form of loan agreements between the Treasury and the Corporations.

According to Dr. Jayasundera, the funds were released subsequent to discussions the Treasury held with Mr. Wickremanayake. Part of the money was to be distributed among small-scale rubber manufacturers who were undergoing hardships due to low rubber prices.

The detectives said Mr. Wickremanayake and the ministry secretaries would be asked whether they monitored the payments made by the corporation.

The corporation chairman has been remanded on charges of corruption.

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