අධිකරණ ඇමතිතුමනි,
An open letter to Justice Minister W.J.M. Lokubandara setting out police evidence on the 14th impeachment charge against Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva: his close ties to Rohana Kumara, alleged mastermind of the Wijekoon murder, who lived at the official residence, used ministry vehicles and posed as his secretary. Quoting statements by Lakshmi Kusumalatha, hotel manager Ranjith Kaluarachchi and Godamunne Pannananda Thera, phone records and gate logs, it asks why the Chief Justice has not been questioned.
ජනාධිපතිනියගේ ඡීඑස්ඩී දාමරිකකම් ගැන ශ්‍රීලනිප, පොපෙ හා ජවිපෙ කියන්නේ කුමක්ද?
When inquiries into the Presidential Security Division began, SLFP loyalists called them a plot to weaken the President’s security. The editorial notes that investigations now link the PSD to the attacks on the Leader editor, the Rohana Kumara murder and other outrages, with officers saying they acted on the President’s orders, and demands that the SLFP, PA and JVP state their position. If she ordered the crimes she must face the law, by constitutional amendment if necessary.
පීඑස්ඩී අපරාධවලට ජනාධිපතිනිය වගකිවයුතු නැද්ද?
Police inquiries are confirming what Ravaya long reported: that the Presidential Security Division was behind the attacks on the Leader editor and his home, the Rohana Kumara murder, the harassment of singers Rookantha and Chandraleka, the burning of actress Anoja Weerasinghe’s house and body parts sent to Ravi Karunanayake. The editorial argues these crimes had political motives, that the President’s role must be investigated, and that if involved she belongs in prison, not the presidential palace.
සියලු රාජ්‍ය අරමුදල් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ පාලනයට යටත් විය යුතුයි
Former finance minister Ronnie de Mel asked during the budget debate that all state funds, including the President’s Fund, be brought into the Consolidated Fund under Parliament’s control. The editorial calls holding funds outside it illegal and contrary to parliamentary democracy, and criticises the Auditor General’s weak scrutiny of institutions under powerful figures and the Public Accounts Committee’s frequent failure to meet for lack of a quorum.
අගවිනිසුරු අත්අඩංගුවට ?
Police are to reopen the Peradeniya botanical gardens murder investigation after revelations that the alleged mastermind, Rohana Kumara, was close to Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva and posed as his secretary. Ivan sets out the alleged plot with hotelier Lakshmi Kusumalatha against Ranjith Bandara Wijekoon, payments and bank deposits, links to police officers including Ranmal Kodituwakku, and evidence that could expose the Chief Justice to a charge of harbouring a wanted man.
මංගලගේ හඬා වැළපීම
Mangala Samaraweera and others briefed the Indian High Commissioner on an alleged plot to arrest opposition figures linked to a conspiracy to kill the President. Ivan points out that allegations against the Presidential Security Division, including the attack on Lasantha Wickrematunge, long predate the government’s fall, and says those who fear unfair investigations should seek court restraint rather than complain to diplomats, recalling Samaraweera’s defiance over his Telecom credit card.
පී.එස්.ඩී.යට රජ සැලකිලි
Ivan details favours the President granted to her Presidential Security Division. Its director Nihal Karunaratne was promoted to Superintendent of Police without the required EBE examination through two Cabinet papers, and seven chosen PSD men were given luxury flats in a state-owned Bambalapitiya tower rent free, costing the state Rs 2.6 million a year. He calls this corruption.
විගණන දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව කොමිසමක් බවට පත්කිරීම පමණක් ප්‍රමාණවත් නැත
The editorial welcomes a plan to make the Audit Department an independent commission under the Constitutional Council but says it needs real backing. Limited staff should be focused on powerful institutions such as the presidential and prime minister’s offices, Parliament, the Supreme Court, the army and police, rather than relying on private audits as with the President’s Fund. It also calls for officials to be punished for losses found and for audit findings to be made public promptly.
කිරි කළයේ ගොම
Ivan says that malpractice in some areas has tarnished the government’s deserved local election victory and exposed a hunger for rigging among some of its members. He recalls how Chandrika Kumaratunga’s failure to punish those behind the 1997 malpractices and the North Western Provincial Council poll began her decline, and urges the government to investigate, reprimand offenders, pursue serious PA-era wrongs without revenge, and make people unafraid to oppose it.
මැතිවරණ කොමසාරිස්, වත්කම් බැරකම් නීතිය හා අල්ලස් කොමිසම
Ivan notes that the Elections Commissioner must collect asset declarations from candidates and party office-bearers, and asks whether they were received after the local elections. Requests for copies of the President’s and ministers’ declarations under the previous government were ignored. He points out that the 1994 Bribery Commission Act refers to the outdated 1976 law rather than the 1988 law giving public access, and urges this be fixed and the Commission allowed to act without a complaint.