Our man in Rome

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has appointed senior lawyer Hemantha Warnakulasuriya as Sri Lanka's next Ambassador to Italy. Mr. Warnakulasuriya, a President's Counsel was a dominant figure in the Colombo Magistrate's Court for several years.

He will be accredited to Rome, the Vatican, Greece, Cyprus, Albania and Malta, as well as to the FAO, WFP, IFAD and the ICCROM (International Centre for Preservation/Restoration of Cultural Property). He will replace career diplomat Rodney Perera.Earlier, President Chandrika Kumaratunga sought to send a Chilaw based lawyer as the Ambassador to Italy.

The matter was dropped after then Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar came to know that the lawyer had been convicted of fraud and had served a jail term.