The Prisons Department has called for a report on the present status of the gallows in the Welikada Prison.

The only operational gallow belonging to the Prisons Department is located in the Welikada Prison since the gallows at the Bogambara Prison were removed during the process of shifting the Bogambara prison from Kandy.

Necessary measures would be taken to refurbish and restructure the gallow following the submission of the report, Prisons Commissioner General T.M.J.W. Tennakoon said.

However, he noted that the scaffold at the Welikada Prison had been maintained and is in a usable condition despite not being used for several years.

Two close associates of organised criminal Dematagoda Chaminda have been arrested by Special Task Force personnel today (Mar 25).

The suspects have been identified as 27-year old T. Kasun Chinthaka alias 'Welipare Kasun' and 46-year old W.A. Udaya Kumara alias 'Lal Baba'.

Both suspects are residents of Welipara, Peliyagoda, Police Spokesman S.P. Ruwan Gunasekara said adding that 'Welipare Kasun' has been identified as an Army deserter.

He noted that 50 grams of heroin which was in the possession of the susepcted were also taken into custody by STF personnel.

Five suspects including Perpetual Treasuries Ltd Chairman Geoffrey Aloysius, and former Central Bank Deputy Governor Paththinige Samarasiri have been remanded until April 05 over the bond scam case.

Accordingly, three Directors of Perpetual Treasuries Ltd. Pushamithra Gunawardena, Chitra Ranjan Hulugalle, and Muthuraja Surendran who were also among those arrested have been remanded until the said date.

The suspects were arrested by Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officials at their residences following which they were produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne.

Charges were filed against the suspects under eight counts for violating the Public Property Act, and the SEC Act.

The Magistrate had remanded the suspects by considering the heavy losses incurred by the government and the seriousness of the offences committed by the suspects.

Deputy Solicitor General Haripriya Jayasundara had told court that former Central Bank Deputy Governor Mr. Samarasiri had aided and abetted this scandal by following the instructions of Arjuna Mahendran while serving as the Chairman of the Tender Committee for the issuance of treasury bonds at the time of the scam. The other suspects too were charged with abetting the offence.

However, the attorney representing Geoffrey Aloysius had sought a court order to release his client on bail by claiming that the latter was not implicated in this case.

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The Health Ministry has decided to sell pharmaceutical drugs at all Osu Sala outlets at a five percent discounted rate to clergymen.

Relevant instructions have been issued by Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne to State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) Chairman M.H.M. Rumie in this regard, a spokesman for the Health Ministry said.

The spokesman noted that drugs at Osu Sala outlets are currently being sold at a five percent discounted rate to pregnant mothers, children below the age of five, and those above the age of 55.

SriLankan flight UL 504 which was heading towards Sri Lanka from London was diverted to Bucharest, Romania today (Mar 25) due to the sudden illness of a passenger.

The captain took the decision to divert to the nearest airport and alerted airport authorities at Bucharest’s Henry Coanda International Airport, a statement from the Airline said.

 The A330-300 aircraft was several hours into its flight from London Heathrow when the female passenger experienced difficulties in the early hours shortly after midnight.

Upon landing, airport medical personnel immediately boarded the aircraft and provided medical assistance to the passenger, who was suspected to be suffering from kidney failure. The passenger’s situation was eventually stabilized.

Meanwhile, the 195 passengers who were travelling on the flight were provided hotel accommodation in Bucharest. The statement said the flight is to continue on to Colombo as soon as possible.

 

Some 1327 individuals were found to be eligible to receive concessionary loans by government banks during the Enterprise Sri Lanka mobile service which was held in Weligama over the weekend, the Finance Ministry said in a press release.

The Ministry noted that 620 individuals were identified as those who could receive loans from government banks while 387 were registered to receive loans from the Rural Development Bank and 300 people were approved for loans from the People's Bank.

More than 7,000 individuals took part in the Enterprise Sri Lanka mobile service, the release noted.

The Finance Ministry emphasised that individuals who wish to obtain loans with concessionary interest rates upto Rs 750 million in order to start-up businesses must produce their business proposal before the said banks. The release said this was because certain individuals faced difficulties while repaying the loan due to the lack of understanding on the operation of the business.

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry said that 450 individuals had registered their business under the tourism development programme out of which 50 businesses had been approved during the mobile service itself.

An administrative officer at a national school in Galle has been suspended from his services for soliciting a bribe to admit a Grade One student.

The Ministry of Education has launched a special investigation in order to initiate further disciplinary action against the officer.

Officials attached to the Internal Audit division of the Education Ministry upon a tip-off received via the special hotline which was launched recently with the motive of distancing bribery and corruption from the Education sector.

The Education Ministry has already commenced investigations into incidents during which parents have been mislead by school authorities in order to obtain money while admitting their children and while also transferring teachers.

Certain cases are being further investigated by the Bribery Commission and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

(Additional reporting by Damith Wickramasekara)