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On Wednesday, the government revealed details of liquor licences issued during the first 10 months of this year. The information was tabled in Parliament amid accusations that the previous Ranil Wickremesinghe government had used such licences as a “political bribe” to induce crossovers of opposition MPs.

While statistics revealed that of the 361 liquor licences issued from January 1 to October 14, it also revealed that 172 of those licences were for wine stores, which are retail outlets. Some names on the list immediately stood out. For example, one of the six liquor licences issued for the Puttalam district had been issued to Yashoda Range Bandara, son of former United National Party (UNP) General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara.

However, what was not included in the tabled list were the names of those who had recommended these liquor licences to be issued. It has become a practice for MPs to issue letters to the Excise Department recommending the issuing of liquor licences for their relatives and associates.

There are also allegations that the MPs themselves had obtained these licences using the names of relatives and associates as a front.

The government informed the House that an inquiry into the matter was underway and the results of the probe would be revealed. In the meantime, the President has ordered a halt to the issuing of new liquor licences until further notice.

Wanted by Sri Lankan and French police, Aava gang leader arrested in Canada

A notorious gang leader of the ’Aava’ group that once shook the Northern province has been taken into custody by the Canadian police.

The suspect identified as Prasanna Nallalingam (32) operated as the leader of a Jaffna-based gang and was accused of carrying out killings, robbery, and multiple sword attacks in the past. He is the main suspect in the killing of a youth in March this year, and the Sri Lankan authorities are looking for him.

He avoided arrest and fled to India by boat. He then found his way to Canada, the adopted home of many fugitives from this part of the world, but is currently facing criminal charges over a similar gang war incident in France that resulted in the death of a youth and caused serious injuries to another.

Canadian authorities fixed the date for inquiries in May next year and he is expected to be deported to France for further trial.

Brickbats and bouquets for police

Police mishandling of a sensitive case has come under criticism after a group of male police personnel tried to save a mentally disturbed man who ultimately committed suicide by jumping off a residential building adjoining a luxury hotel in Kollupitiya on Wednesday.

Video footage shows the officers, including one traffic police officer, trying to engage with him from the adjacent room as the disturbed person was standing on the ledge of the balcony in one of the apartments. Another officer tried to grab him from behind, which made things worse, and the man jumped from the balcony.

The whole incident was videographed by a bystander.

The manner in which the police handled the situation has been questioned, as they had the option of calling for the help of a specialised unit to handle such situations.

However, there was kudos for the police when, on the same day in Hikkaduwa, down South, police lifeguards saved a Russian couple from drowning as they were dragged into the sea by currents. They were found in difficulty nearly 350 metres from the shore.

The trained police lifeguards got into action and saved the couple. The couple expressed gratitude for saving their lives, and so did the villagers who witnessed the event.

Seenigama sees few nuts

With coconut prices reaching sky-high, not many coconuts are dashed these days at the famous Seenigama Devalaya in Hikkaduwa to invoke the deities’ help.

Handunnetti draws attention to million-rupee rents

Industries Minister Sunil Handunnetti on Thursday disclosed highlighted instances of how taxpayer funds were being wasted owing to government entities being housed on rent in private properties.

For example, the Gem and Jewellery Authority, which is under Minister Handunnetti, is presently housed at a private building, for which a monthly rent of Rs. 5 million is paid, he revealed.

Trade Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe, who was seated next to Mr. Handunnetti, then intervened to say that the monthly rent for the Trade Ministry building was Rs. 6.5 million. “Funds have been allocated in the 2024 budget to pay these rents. So we have to pay for these past sins,” remarked Minister Handunnetti. He added that such institutions would be moved to government properties.

Women MPs take orange pledge to end gender violence

Marking sixteen days of activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV),
the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus on Friday organised an event to which women MPs and the staff of the Secretary-General’s office came clad in orange to support the programme.

Orange is the colour against gender violence

Orange wristbands were distributed among the MPs who gave a public pledge to “End Gender-Based Violence” and promote gender equality as well.

Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya emphasised the need for media reporting to move beyond sensationalised narratives and focus on the lived realities of women subjected to violence. She noted that violence against women and children often originated not from strangers, but from those closest to them.

President explains reluctant use of PTA

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met Ilankai Thamil Arasau Katchithivu (ITAK) parliamentarians on Wednesday at the Presidential Secretariat.

The eight-member delegation was led by the ITAK’s parliamentary group leader, S. Shritharan.

The formal meeting, which began with presidential handshakes with MPs, went on for nearly one hour.

Among the issues that were discussed in detail was the continuing implementation of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), under which at least ten people were taken into custody in recent days.

President Dissanayake told the ITAK MPs that he did not want to implement it, but he was forced to do so due to certain elements trying to incite racism threatening ethnic harmony.

SLPP’s alleged human smuggling racketeer uses Namal’s name

The Sri Lanka Podhujana Peramuna’s (SLPP) Jaffna district organiser, Keethanath Kasilingam, had to appear at the Manipay police station on Wednesday over a complaint related to illegal human smuggling.

The complaint is against an SLPP member who had used the name of the party’s national organiser, Namal Rajapaksa.

It turned out that the suspect had used Mr. Rajapaksa’s name to solicit millions of rupees from a victim, assuring him safe passage to a European country.

Coming after the inquiry, Mr. Keethanath said attempts were being made to tarnish the image of Mr. Rajapaksa but if the suspect was found guilty, he would be sacked from the party.

Small parties say they must have their say

The minor opposition political parties found themselves left out of parliament proceedings, especially about the allocation of adequate speech time.

Jaffna district’s independent MP Dr. R. Archchuna, who went to the Opposition Leader’s office to fix his allocated time, claimed that he came under attack by a fellow parliamentarian from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), an allegation vehemently denied by the SJB.

All Ceylon Tamil Congress leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, who is the sole MP representing his party, raised the issue—not of the alleged assault, but of being deprived time in the House this week. He requested that minor parties should also have a say in parliamentary affairs and requested the Speaker to consider including them in the Committee on Parliamentary Affairs.

Wildlife activists outraged over Lal Kantha’s comments

Agriculture Minister Lal Kantha angered environmentalists on Thursday with his statement in Parliament on the harm caused to the crops by wild animals.

The minister stated that there was no legal barrier to stop farmers from taking “any measures necessary” within their property or farm to prevent wild animals from damaging their crops.

The comments drew a swift backlash from environmentalists. Some pointed out that the comments can be used as an excuse to kill any wild animal that may stray onto farmers’ properties, while also encouraging poaching of wild animals on the pretext that they were damaging crops.

They also pointed out that, contrary to the minister’s assertion, there are laws that criminalise the killing of certain wild animals even if they were on farmland, and farmers who might act on the minister’s comments stood the risk of being arrested and charged.

A group of environmentalists also held a protest at Polduwa Junction
near Parliament’s entrance against the minister’s comments.

Civil society takes action against suddenly wealthy state officials

In Vavuniya, civil society groups are collecting details of senior government officials for possible investigations into how they became rich and property owners so quickly.

They say certain senior officials have become so rich by owning properties, and their relatives have also become owners of several properties within a short period. It is suspected that officials are using relatives as dummies to register properties.

They also allege that when it comes to land or land-related problems faced by the people, senior officials adopted a lethargic approach and caused unnecessary delays for months to resolve them, whereas when it comes to addressing issues by visiting diaspora-based individuals, those are resolved within a day or two.

Therefore, concerned civil society groups are engaged in collecting details of such suspected officials to refer them to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption to check their property ownership while the new government has launched a drive for a ‘corruption-free’ administration.